Beat 1517 by Furst Media

KSSHHT! GLUG GLUG GLUG...AHHHH BRUNSWICK BITTER NOW IN CANS W W W. T H U N D E R R O A D B R E W I N G . C O M B E AT.C O M . A U

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Tickets at the door or from

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Monday Residency 7.30pm

MORELAND CITY SOUL REVUE

Get on board the soul train and check out this all-star cast of musos playing old soul and soulful funk. PLUS: Check out the dinner special: Moreland City Soul Revue fried chicken dinner. Every Monday night at the Union!

Saturday Residency 5pm

LACHLAN BRYAN & THE WILDES

Led by charismatic frontman Lachlan Bryan, the Wildes have been racking up the accolades. Expect great songwriting, tight playing and sweet harmonies from this alt-country band steeped in Americana. They play Saturday arvos in March.

Sun 27 March 5pm

THE BAND WHO KNEW TOO MUCH

A bona-fide, floor-packing band thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s raucous, upbeat and loads of fun.

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HOT TALK / FREE SHIT UPCOMING TOURS & GIG OF THE WEEK MICK FLEETWOOD BLUES BAND RHIANNON GIDDENS ART OF THE CITY: WHAT’S ON MICK FLEETWOOD BLUES BAND • PG. 18 DAWN WELLS P L AG U E V E N D O R • PG. 94 ART OF THE CITY CALENDAR ROSS NOBLE JAKE JOHANNSEN CIRQUE ADRENALINE ARTS REVIEW OUT OF THE CLOSET BEAT EATS BEATS - CLUB & URBAN NEWS CLUB GUIDE HUGO RACE ROAD SERIES ROCKWIZ Z-STAR ST. PAUL & THE BROKEN BONES • PG. 92 ST. PAUL & THE BROKEN BONES FRAZEY FORD JAMES PRIMAL SCREAM PLAGUE VENDOR MUTEMATH POLISH CLUB CORE & CRUNCH COLUMNS LIVE ALBUM OF THE WEEK P R I M A L S C R E A M • PG. 93 SINGLES / CHARTS ALBUMS F O R B R E A K I N G NEWS, REVIEWS, NEW CONTENT AND MORE GIVEAWAYS VISIT GIG GUIDE / ALL AGES BACKSTAGE STUDIO PROFILE: MYCELIUM RECORDINGS GET SOCIAL: FACEBOOK.COM/BEATMAG @BEATMAGAZINE @BEATMAGAZINE INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH

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PUBLISHER: Furst Media Pty Ltd. MUSIC EDITOR: Cara Williams ACTING ARTS EDITOR, ASSOCIATE MUSIC EDITOR & ONLINE EDITOR: James Di Fabrizio SUB EDITOR: Augustus Welby EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: Cassie Hedger, Gloria Brancatisano, Jess Zanoni, Kate Eardley, Bel Ryan, Christine Tsimbis, Abbey Lew-Kee, Tom Parker, Rochelle Bevis. MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr BEAT PRODUCTION MANAGER: Michael Cusack GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Michael Cusack, Andrew Rozen, Lizzie Dynon. COVER DESIGN: Michael Cusack ADVERTISING: Cara Williams (Music: Bands/Tours/Record Labels) cara@beat.com.au Thom Parry (Hospitality/Bars) thom@beat.com.au Keats Mulligan (Backstage/Musical Equipment) mixdown@beat.com.au Tom Brand (Indie Artists/Beat Eats) tombrand@beat.com.au CLASSIFIEDS: classifieds@beat.com.au GIG GUIDE SUBMISSIONS: now online at www.beat.com.au or bands email gigguide@beat. com.au ACCOUNTANT: accountant@furstmedia.com.au OFFICE MANAGER: Lizzie Dynon ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Luke Forester: accounts@furstmedia.com.au DISTRIBUTION: Free every Wednesday to over 2000 points around Melbourne. Wanna get BEAT? Email distribution@beat.com.au CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Mary Boukouvalas, Ben Gunzburg, Anna Kanci, Charles Newbury, Tony Proudfoot, Laura May Grogan, David Harris, Emily Day, Lucinda Goodwin, Dan Soderstrom. SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR: Christie Eliezer SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR: Patrick Emery SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER: Ian Laidlaw COLUMNISTS: Emily Kelly, Peter Hodgson, Anna Whitelaw BEAT TV/WATT’S ON PRESENTER: Dan Watt CONTRIBUTORS: Kelsey Berry, Graham Blackley, Gloria Brancatisano, Chris Bright, Avrille Bylock-Collard, Alexander Crowden, Liza Dezfouli, Jules Douglas, Jack Franklin, Emma Gawd, Chris Girdler, Joe Hansen, Nick Hilton, Peter Hodgson, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Cassandra Kiely, Billy Killing, Jody Macgregor, Nick Mason, Denver Maxx, Krystal Maynard, Paul McBride, Miki Mclay, Rhys McRae, James Nicoli, Adam Norris, Jack Parsons, Leigh Salter, Sisqo Taras, Kelly Theobald, Tamara Vogl, Dan Watt, Augustus Welby, Garry Westmore, Rod Whitfield, Jen Wilson, Thomas Brand, Alex Watts, Tyson Wray, David James Young, Bronius Zumeris, Simone Ubaldi, Natalie Rogers, James Di Fabrizio, Tex Miller, Emily Day, Matthew Tomich, Matthew Woods, Matilda Edwards, Lee Spencer Michaelsen, Joe Hansen, John Kendall, Bel Ryan, Izzy Tolhurst, Isabelle Oderberg, Navarone Farrell DEADLINES: Editorial copy accepted no later than 5pm Thursday before publication for club listings, arts, gig guide etc. Advertising copy accepted no later than 12pm Monday before publication. Print ready art by 2pm Monday. Deadlines are strictly adhered to. © 2016 Furst Media Pty Ltd. No part may be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holder.

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H E A D T O B E AT.C O M . A U F O R A L L T H I S S T U F F & H E A P S M O R E

3 NEWTON STREET RICHMOND, VICTORIA 3121 Phone: (03) 9428 3600 Fax: (03) 9428 3611

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“It was clear the first time I heard her… that Rhiannon is next in a long line of singers that include Marian Anderson, Odetta, Mahalia Jackson, Rosetta Tharpe, Nina Simone. We need that person in our culture. She is, in fact, that person in our culture.” T BONE BURNETT

“He’s a cat that can do an Otis Redding.”

WEDNESDAY MARCH

KEITH RICHARDS

THE CROXTON WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

SKY NEEDLE

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

MONICA WEIGHTMAN

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WILSN

TONIGHT ! WEDNESDAY MARCH

THE CORNER

THURSDAY MARCH

TOMORROW ! THE CORNER

“you feel every sweaty note, a full-tilt, damn the torpedoes showcase” STAR

GRAMMY AND ACADEMY AWARD WINNER

“The best effing voice I’ve ever heard.” MTV

THIS TUESDAY !

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“A joyous rude-boy revue from an act as slick and brash as their shiny silver suits” NOTTINGHAM ROCK CITY

PLAYING EARLY FLEETWOOD MAC WITH HIS GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATED BAND

“The crowd became a sea of smiling faces and dancing feet” THE BRAG

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

HARRY HEALY

YIRRMAL

THIS FRIDAY !

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

STRANGE TENANTS (AKA THE BLUEBEAT ALLSTARS) 30TH REUNION TOUR

FRIDAY MARCH

THE CORNER

THIS SUNDAY ! SUNDAY MARCH

THIS TUESDAY ! SOLD OUT!

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TUESDAY MARCH

“Takes you back to the early blues-driven years of Fleetwood Mac” MAUI NEWS

170 RUSSELL

THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA BRIAN WILSON JACKSON BROWNE NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS TAJ MAHAL B E AT.C O M . A U

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THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS CAMP COPE REVEAL CURTIN SHOW

This Week:

WEDNESDAY 23RD MARCH - 8PM $7

ALEX LAHEY - LAUNCH

To celebrate the release of their debut LP out via Poison City Records this April, Melbourne indie punk trio Camp Cope are hitting up the John Curtin Hotel, kicking off their very first east coast headline tour. Joining them are friends Wet Lips, Moon Rituals and Two Steps on the Water. Camp Cope will play The Curtin Bandroom on Friday May 13. Tickets on sale Thursday March 24 via the venue.

DIET, MAX QUINN’S ONOMATOPENIS THURSDAY 24TH MARCH - 8PM $10

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DAVE GRANEY & THE MISTLY

THE IN THE OUT, VICTORIANA GAYE FRIDAY 25TH MARCH - 8:30PM $10

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DEAFHAVEN GEAR UP FOR 2016 MELBOURNE SHOW

KHAN

Critically acclaimed black-metal heavyweights Deafheaven have just locked in a Melbourne show. It comes after their latest release New Bermuda and 2013’s seminal Sunbather album, which garnered the band significant appreciation and major shows all over the world. They’ll tear up the Corner Hotel on Friday June 3. Tickets available through Handsome Tours.

T H E S U M M E R V I L L ES

SUNDAY 27TH MARCH - 8PM $8

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HONEYBONE ANNOUNCE 2016 MELBOURNE SINGLE LAUNCH

THE ONYAS ANNOUNCE 25TH BIRTHDAY SHOW

To celebrate the release of their latest single Dance, produced and recorded by Lee Jones (previously of The Solicitors), Honeybone will be hosting their single launch right here in Melbourne. Happy Go Blues and Lola will support the trio, as they showcase the track from their upcoming EP Splits and Curses, due for release May 2016. The single launch will take place at Whole Lotta Love in Brunswick on Sunday April 3.

Brisbane punk outfit The Onyas are celebrating 25 years of making music with a special gig in Melbourne. Joining them will be the likes of The Sailors – who are back from Taiwan just for this show, The Last Hotel, Meatbeaters, and all capped off with Cut Sick reforming for the occasion. Punters can also look forward to special reissues of their original demo tape from 1991, as well as their first two albums Get Shitfaced With The Onyas and Six! being available on the night. It’s all going down on Friday April 1 at the Tote Hotel.

BJÖRK, BON IVER AND SPIKE JONZE LEAD COMPLETE VIVID SYDNEY 2016 LINEUP Vivid Sydney has finally shed light on the 2016 edition of the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas. Following on from the announcement of its full set of dates earlier this month, the program for the eighth Vivid Sydney has now been made public. The festival is split into three main areas: Vivid Light, Vivid Music and Vivid Ideas. This year’s festival is set to run over 23 massive nights starting Friday May 27, with one of the highlights set to be a virtual reality project at Carriageworks called Bjork Digital, with Björk herself to DJ at the launch party on Friday June 3. Meanwhile, the Sydney Opera House arm of the festival, Vivid LIVE, will feature performances from New Order and Bon Iver, and the MCA is also set to host a soon-to-be announced lineup for Vivid Music. Vivid Light will showcase its most extensive set of visual attractions, with over 80 light installations across the city and surrounds. Campbell’s Cove, the Australian Maritime Museum, Sydney Opera House, Walsh Bay, The Botanical Gardens and the Harbour Bridge, as well as Chatswood and Taronga Zoo will all host installations. Vivid Ideas is back too, and this year will feature talks with acclaimed director Spike Jonze, author and commentator Jane Caro, and Orange Is The New Black creator and writer Jenji Kohan. Vivid Sydney will run from Friday May 27 until Saturday June 18. Information and tickets are available from the official Vivid Sydney website. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 10

TINY LITTLE HOUSES REVEAL NEW SINGLE AND MELBOURNE SHOW Following the success of their debut EP You Tore Out My Heart, Tiny Little Houses have returned with their new track Milo Tin, produced, recorded and mixed by Steven Schram (Paul Kelly) and mastered by Grammy-nominated engineer Andrei Eremin (Chet Faker). To celebrate, the band will be touring around the country including appearances at The Hills are Alive and Groovin’ The Moo. Catch Tiny Little Houses when they play Northcote Social Club Friday April 29.

MT. MOUNTAIN ANNOUNCE FIRST AUSTRALIAN TOUR Perth’s Mt. Mountain are crossing the Nullarbor for the first time this April. The tour comes in support of Germany’s Kadaver and coincides with the launch of Mt. Mountain’s much anticipated new album, Cosmos Terros. Slotted for release on FridayApril 22, Cosmos Terros has been 18 months in the making and follows up from their 2014 release, EP. Mt. Mountain bring a new flavour to psychedelic rock and if their single Freida is anything to go by, this album is set to be a ripper. Catch them on Saturday April 30 at The Corner, with Kadavar, Child and Elbrus, and on Saturday May 7 at Old Bar with Warpigs,The Dead Heir and Fourteen Nights at Sea.

Free $hit ASKING ALEXANDRIA DOUBLE PASS The UK has a habit of exporting some of the world’s best metalcore and Asking Alexandria are no exception. They are touring Australia in April to celebrate the release of their newest offering, The Black, and Beat has a double pass up for grabs to their 18+ Melbourne show. It’s going down at 170 Russell on Friday April 8, so head on over to beat.com.au/ freeshit for your chance to win.

NEW SLANG ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL 2016 LINEUP The Push have announced New Slang, a series of monthly all-ages gigs held at The Channel in collaboration with Arts Centre Melbourne. New Slang’s first lineup showcases two of 2016’s most promising new artists, Tiny Little Houses and Alex Lahey. Tiny Little Houses only debuted in the second half of 2015 but already they’re going from strength to strength. Now preparing to make their next big step, they’re releasing Milo Tin, a new single from the group. Tiny Little Houses’ New Slang show will be the only all-ages show on the band’s 2016 tour. Singer/ songwriter Alex Lahey will feature, following on from her most recent single You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me garnering radio rotation in the lead up to her debut EP. Rounding out New Slang’s inaugural lineup comes Moss, who recently played on The Push’s St Kilda Festival stage as well as DJ Elldaychubbygal. Catch the first instalment of New Slang when it goes down on Friday May 6 at The Channel, Arts Centre. Head to The Push for more details.

MELODY POOL ANNOUNCES ALBUM LAUNCH TOUR Melbourne singer/songwriter Melody Pool has released a brand new single Love, She Loves Me – a first taste from her sophomore album Deep Dark Savage Heart set to drop next month. To celebrate the imminent release, she has announced details of a national tour kicking off in May. Deep Dark Savage Heart follows her 2013 debut album The Hurting Scene. After the success of The Hurting Scene, Pool moved to Melbourne from Kurri Kurri NSW – her first time living away from home. She also toured with The Milk Carton Kids through Europe and performed two massive shows supporting the Eagles, before returning to Nashville to make Deep Dark Savage Heart with producer Brad Jones, who has worked with several Australian artists including Ben Lee and Missy Higgins. Check out Melody Pool when she plays The Shadow Electric Friday May 13. HOT TALK

THE LIVING END RELEASE NEW SINGLE, ALBUM AND TOUR DATES Australian rock’n’roll legends The Living End are far from running out of steam, with the release of new single Keep On Running from their upcoming seventh album Shift, dropping on Friday May 13. After a five year break following 2011’s The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating, the fresh track Keep On Running further solidifies their iconic status as a punk-rock force to be reckoned with. To accompany the release, the boys will be hitting the road with an Australia-wide tour. Don’t miss out when they play at The Forum on Friday June 24, with supports from BAD//DREEMS and the 131’s. Tickets go on sale Thursday March 24 via Ticketmaster.

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THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS LEFTÖVER CRACK LOCK IN 2016 MELBOURNE SHOWS

World’s End

TASTE ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE AND GOOD FRIDAY GIG

THE DRONES ANNOUNCE TOUR SUPPORTS Having just unleashed their seventh studio album Feelin Kinda Free, The Drones will be gracing Melbourne with their furious presence as part of a national tour. Joining them at various legs across the country will be an eclectic smorgasbord of bands and artists, with the likes of EXEK, Benjamin Witt, You Beauty, Harmony, White Vans and Tyrannamen all supporting. If the raw, vitriolic aggression of recent singles such as Taman Shud and To Think That I Once Loved You are anything to go by, The Drones should prove for a huge night out. Catch them at 170 Russell on Friday May 20 with Harmony and EXEK and for two shows (an afternoon all-ages and an 18+ evening) at the Tote with White Vans and Tyrannamen on Saturday May 28. Tickets through Oztix.

SECOND YEAR ANNIVERSARY FOR HIP HOP KARAOKE AT BONEY

THE BELLIGERENTS RELEASE SINGLE AND ANNOUNCE TOUR Groovy psych boys The Belligerents have unveiled plans for a national tour, following the release of their brand new single Before, I Am. The experimental track is a taste from their forthcoming debut album, recorded in a DIY studio in a Stradbroke Island farmhouse. The release follows last year’s Outside:Inside EP, featuring lead single Voices. Catch up with The Belligerents when they hit up The Gasometer Friday April 29. Tickets via Oztix.

LAST DINOSAURS MIRACLE METHODS TOUR ANNOUNCED Following two massive headline tours in Asia, Last Dinosaurs have decided to hit the Australian road once again for their Miracle Methods tour in May. Named after lyrics found in their boppy single Apollo from their 2015 LP Wellness, the Miracle Methods Tour promises to be an up-close and personal series of club experiences from a band that have had a mammoth four years. The tour also comes after their latest dream-pop single Wurl. Last Dinosaurs will light up Northcote Social Club Friday June 3 and Saturday June 4. Tickets available via Ticketscout. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 12

Reformed ‘70s rock-legends Taste have been busy with the release of their new album Life On Earth, set to drop in late May. The Irish trio have announced details of a gig on Good Friday to launch the music video to their lead single I Am God. Directed by Clayton Jacobson (Kenny), the video promises mechanical spiders scouring a post-apocalyptic world engulfed in flames – a perfect accompaniment to the prog-rock stylings of the band. The explosive reunion comes complete with special guests Robot Child (containing The Project’s Waleed Aly on guitar) and an appearance with original drummer Virgil Donati (of Planet X). Catch them at the Ding Dong Lounge on Good Friday (March 25th). Tickets available via Oztix

The second anniversary of Boney’s monthly Hip Hop Karaoke is set to be one hell of a party. The event has been going down once a month since 2014 and has accumulated an impressive following of new and old-school hip hop lovers, who don’t mind getting up on stage and belting out some rhymes. This unique spin on karaoke is a night out that simply has to be experienced. Get your arse down to Boney on Thursday April 7 to participate in the festivities.

TULLY ON TULLY TO PLAY MILES AWAY TOUR

KORAL & THE GOODBYE HORSES RELEASE NEW SINGLE Adelaide’s alt-rockers Koral & The Goodbye Horses have released their new single Little Sister ahead of their national tour. The track is the second from their acclaimed EP Nocturnes, and further showcases Koral’s raw and haunting vocals. The band are set to hit a number of venues along the east coast, with support from Max Savage and The False Idols at selected shows. Catch them when they visit Melbourne on Friday April 8 at The Dogs Bar and Saturday April 9 at The Catfish.

Straight off the back of playing headline shows around the country to support the release of their EP Miles Away, Melbourne indie pop group Tully On Tully have announced another tour and promise to bring a whole bunch of new material to boot. Miles Away – set for release in May – deviates from the sound of their last release Weightless in order to explore a host of different influences and directions. Tully On Tully will play The Hills Are Alive on Friday March 25 and The Workers Club on Saturday April 16. Tickets via The Hills are Alive website and Oztix, respectively.

Punk-rock stalwarts Leftöver Crack have confirmed two back-to-back shows this March. Since the demise of Choking Victim, the NYC five-piece have remained at the forefront of hardhitting punk. They will hit the stage with special guests Wet Pensioner, Phat Meegz, Jerkbeast, Weedy Gonzalez, Wolfpack, Terror Nullius and Servo Burger. Leftöver Crack will play at the Bendigo Hotel Saturday March 27 and Sunday March 28. Tickets available through The Drunk Promoter.

TINPAN ORANGE TO PLAY MELBOURNE SHOW & NATIONAL TOUR After premiering their latest music video earlier this March, seasoned folk trio Tinpan Orange are gearing up to embark on a national tour. Love Is A Dog – the title track from their forthcoming album of the same name – is the latest look at a record produced by the band in collaboration with Harry James Angus (The Cat Empire, Jackson Jackson), and mixed by the renowned Adam Selzer (M. Ward, She & Him, Jolie Holland) at Type Foundry Studios in Portland. Love Is A Dog is a concept album centred around the themes of privilege paralysis, the high stakes of losing something you love and ultimately, the pain the comes with it. Catch Tinpan Orange when they hit The Toff on Saturday May 7.

SPYRO GYRA ANNOUNCE 2016 MELBOURNE SHOWS Contemporary jazz-greats Spyro Gyra are making their way to Melbourne. The Buffalo natives have performed over 5000 shows, released 31 albums and sold over ten million albums while also achieving Platinum and Gold records. They join a host of other jazz virtuosos announced to play at Melbourne’s newest jazz venue Bird’s Basement, including John Scofield and James Morrison. Spyro Gyra hit the Bird’s Basement stage for six dates between Tuesday April 19 and Sunday April 24.

CRYPTOPSY EMBARK UPON THE TOUR OF SUFFERING Brace yourselves. Canadian death-metal giants Cryptopsy will be blasting into Australia this September. In the wake of their 2015 EP The Book of Suffering – Tome 1, and a career boasting over a quarter of a century’s worth of technical metal experience, Cryptopsy are ready to wreck havoc on Australian shores. Two of Melbourne’s own, Whoretopsy and I and Valiance, will be supporting the outfit for the duration of the tour. Catch Cryptopsy on Saturday September 3 at Northcote Social Club. Grab your tickets via Oztix HOT TALK

BLACK CAB RELEASE NEW SINGLE & LAUNCH SHOWS To celebrate the release of their latest single Uniforms, electronica/drone outfit Black Cab will play a launch show here in Melbourne. Straight from delivering their haunting soundscapes at Golden Plains, Uniforms is the first new release since the 2014 double-LP, Games of the XXI Olympiad. The upcoming gig will be the last opportunity to see Black Cab headline for the next six months, before they start work on a new full length album due for release in early 2017. Join them at Howler on Friday May 6.

Wesley Anne - Bar • Restaurant • Etc -

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[ Formerly The Hi-Fi Bar ]

World’s End

SAT 23 APR

NO ZU

FRI 06

MAY - SOLD

OUT

COHEED AND CAMBRIA USA

SAT 07 MAY - SELLING FAST

COHEED AND CAMBRIA USA

REMI LOCKS IN NATIONAL TOUR

FRI 13 MAY

MC REMI and his musical collaborator Sensible J have just dropped their latest single For Good featuring Sampa The Great, and now, the duo will be touring Australia. Straight after a series of dates at Groovin’ The Moo, REMI will be hitting up Melbourne with special guests Man Made Mountain. REMI has gone from strength to strength since the release of his second album Raw x Infinity in 2014. For Good is the first single from the upcoming album Divas and Demons, due for release later this year. Catch him at Howler on Saturday May 21. Tickets via Moshtix.

LITTLE MAY SAT 14 MAY

PLAVI ORKESTAR +

BOSNIA

S.A.R.S SERBIA

PIKNIC ELECTRONIK REVEAL 2016 FINALE LINEUP AND EASTER SHOW With only three more shows to go, Piknic Electronik Melbourne are at the tail end of their season, and are set to go out with a bang after announcing their Easter festivities and final show lineup. For those who want a different kind of Easter with the family, Easter Electronik will present a lineup featuring Sonja Moonear, Perlon’s Sammy Dee and Dewalta. There will also be an Easter Egg hunt around the Petite Piknic area for all the kids and anyone young at heart too. Easter themed costumes are highly encouraged. The Petite Piknic area will also include a range of constantly changing activities including an art and creativity area, yoga for children, giant games, skateboard lessons, and a music workshop. Sending off the 2016 Piknic Electronik season will be international guest, Rekids coboss Radio Slave. He will be joined by locals Monty McGaw, Isaac Fryer and DJ Jnett. Easter Electronik will take place on Sunday March 27 at Federation Square. Tickets are on sale now.

SAT 21 MAY

ELUVEITIE SUI

FRI 27 MAY

THE MATCHES USA

SAT 28 MAY

MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA THU 02 JUN

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SAT 11 JUN - SELLING FAST

RADIO BIRDMAN SUN 26 JUN

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THU 14 JUL - SOLD OUT

COG

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SAT 10 SEP

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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 14

HÉLOISE DROPS NEW SINGLE AND ANNOUNCES EAST COAST TOUR Melbourne based folk/blues artist Héloise has just released her sweltering new single Old Salt, and plans to celebrate with a string of tour dates across the east coast. The release comes after her previous stand-out tracks This Is Home and The Harvest received significant acclaim and steady air-time on triple j. Old Salt is another cut above, securing the young talent as certainly one to watch. Héloise is playing two Melbourne shows as part of the tour, on Thursday April 14 at The Grace Darling and Friday April 15 at The Reverence. Tickets will be available on the door.

XYLOURIS WHITE ANNOUNCE 2016 MELBOURNE SHOW

Reggae King Mat McHugh (of The Beautiful Girls) has announced a run of special intimate performances across the country as part of his 2016 solo tour. The latter part of 2015 was a tumultuous time for McHugh. After having written, recorded and released Waves, McHugh had to cancel his Australian tour last September after only a few shows due to extensive neck and back injuries. The upcoming string of shows will present McHugh in a stripped back, up-close and personal manner, featuring songs from his albums Waves, Love Come Save Me and Seperatista as well as one or two musical surprises from his back catalogue. Catch Mat McHugh at The Toff In Town on Saturday July 2. Tickets via moshtix.

Swervedriver have announced their long-awaited return to Australian shores this June. The shoegaze legends bring with them a stack of classics, as well as tracks from their new album I Wasn’t Born To Lose You, their first since 1998. After releasing their fourth fulllength LP 99th Dream in 1998 with an Australian tour to support it, the band then announced a hiatus. The break lasted until 2013, before they dropped their first single in 15 years, Deep Wound. What followed was the release of their fifth album last year, recorded in part at legendary studios Birdland in Melbourne and Konk in London. Welcome Swervedriver back at the Corner Hotel on Thursday June 23. Tickets go on sale Wednesday March 23 through the venue.

HENRY WAGONS & THE ONLY CHILDREN GEAR UP FOR NATIONAL TOUR Henry Wagons is readying himself to hit the road this May to celebrate his debut solo album After What I Did Last Night... with a full national tour. Wagons has assembled a spanking new band The Only Children, and will be joined by acclaimed producer, Tennessee based Skylar Wilson, who will lend his supreme piano playing skills and also act as musical director for the shows. The band will also include a swathe of local heroes featuring multiple ARIA award-winner Matt Walker on guitar, as well as members from Architecture In Helsinki and Dorsal Fins. Get amongst it all at Howler on Saturday May 14.

Xylouris White are capping off their sophomore Australian tour with a final Melbourne show. The Melbourne-viaNew York-via-Crete duo, featuring the Dirty Three’s Jim White and lute player George Xylouris, have been touring in anticipation of a new and untitled followup to their Billboard World Music #1-charting Goats. Check them out at the Northcote Social Club on Sunday March 27. Tickets via Ticket Scout.

MAT MCHUGH TO EMBARK ON NATIONAL TOUR

SWERVEDRIVER CONFIRM 2016 RETURN TO MELBOURNE

WE LOST THE SEA ANNOUNCE DEBUT HEADLINE TOUR Cinematic instrumental post-rockers We Lost The Sea, have confirmed their very first headline tour of Australia. Hailing from Sydney, the sextet have been kicking it for eight years now and aim to elevate their live show to powerful new heights on this tour. In 2015, the group released Departure Songs, a tribute to the tragic loss of original lead singer Chris Torpy. Check out We Lost The Sea at the Old Bar Saturday June 18. Tickets available from the band’s website.

LEGION FESTIVAL CONFIRMED FOR 2017 Legion Festival – a festival first toted as a replacement for Soundwave – has officially come into its own right, locking in their first outing for early next year. Initial crowdfunded pledges have helped get the festival off the ground and secure the support the event needed. Legion 2017 will feature the likes of Lordi, Devildriver, Devil You Know, Darkest Hour, Front Line Assembly, Battlecross, Capture The Crown, Aversions Crown, Dream On, Dreamer, 28 Days, Caligula’s Horse, Darkc3ll and more. Legion 2017 will take place in Melbourne on Sunday January 26. Dylan Joel

MUSIC, MIRTH & MAYHEM ANNOUNCE 2016 LINEUP The 18th annual Music, Mirth & Mayhem – a benefit gig for charity The Mirabel Foundation – is back for 2016 with a first-class lineup for a great cause. Australian comic Lawrence Mooney will be hosting the night, with a number of comedians and musicians set to join him including David Quirk, Tessa Waters, Jake Johannsen (USA), Sweet Jean, Dan Kelly and Jen Cloher, with more to be announced down the track. The Mirabel Foundation cares for children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to parental drug use, with all funds raised at the Music, Mirth & Mayhem concert helping them to continue their vital work. Show your support and have an excellent night out on Friday May 11 at Max Watt’s. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster. HOT TALK

GROOVIN’ THE MOO 2016 REVEALS FULL LOCAL LINEUP Groovin’ the Moo 2016 has lifted the lid off the new and local talent being added to its lineup. Rapper Dylan Joel will take to the stage, alongside Ivan Ooze, Jack and the Kids, Olympia, Tiny Little Houses and The Plot - featuring Benson. They’ll join the likes of Danny Brown, British India and Alison Wonderland at the sold out festival. Groovin’ the Moo Bendigo will go down on Saturday April 30.

LIFE IS NOISE

AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2016 with special guests CHILD, MT. MOUNTAIN and ELBRUS

APRIL 30 THE CORNER MELBOURNE TICKETS ON SALE NOW FROM LIFEISNOISE.COM, OZTIX AND VENUE OUTLETS POSTER BY ERROR-DESIGN.COM

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SEX ON TOAST The Gasometer March 23, 30 LOS CHICOS Sooki Lounge March 23 MODEST MOUSE Margaret Court Arena March 23 RHIANNON GIDDENS The Corner March 23 THE RESIDENTS The Croxton March 23 OLIVIER GIACOMOTTO Brown Alley March 24 TIRED LION Rosalind Park Bendigo March 24 GRIZ Prince Bandroom March 24 EAGLES OF DEATH METAL The Croxton Bandroom March 24, 25, 31 YEO Howler March 24 ENDLESS BOOGIE The John Curtin Hotel March 24 HOUNDMOUTH Northcote Social Club March 24 ST. PAUL & THE BROKEN BONES The Corner March 24 CARMADA Star Bar, Bendigo March 24 BLUESFEST Byron Bay March 24 – 28 DIED PRETTY National Gallery of Victoria March 25 TWIN FIRES Penny Black March 25 INNER VARNIKA FESTIVAL March 25 - 27 HEIN COOPER Shebeen March 25 Z-STAR DELTA The Wesley Anne March 25, The Grace Darling Hotel April 1. GYPSY & THE CAT Howler March 25 WALKEN AND MUDDY CHANTER The Tote March 25 WAFIA Northcote Social Club March 25 COLD WAR KIDS 170 Russell March 25 BOOGIE FESTIVAL Bruzzy’s Farm March 25 – 27 THE HILLS ARE ALIVE Krowera March 25 – 27 TOM JONES Hamer Hall March 25 THE SELECTER Corner Hotel March 25 EILEN JEWELL Caravan Club March 26, Thornbury Theatre March 30 A GAZILLION ANGRY MEXICANS Cherry Bar March 26 THE HILLS ARE ALIVE South Gippsland March 25 – 27 NICHOLAS ALLBROOK Northcote Social Club March 26 LEGION MUSIC FEST Melbourne Showgrounds March 26 PIKNIC ELECTRONIK MELBOURNE Federation Square March 27 - April 3 XYLOURIS WHITE Northcote Social Club March 27 GOONS OF DOOM Ding Dong Lounge March 27 ROCKWELL, TECHNIMATIC & JOE FORD Prince Bandroom March 27 LEFTÖVER CRACK Bendigo Hotel March 27, 28 (AA) TOKE D KEDA Jason Coleman’s Ministry of Dance March 27 NAHKO AND MEDICINE FOR THE PEOPLE The Corner March 27 THE WORD The Corner March 28 TINY LITTLE HOUSES Northcote Social Club April 29 THE MICK FLEETWOOD BLUES BAND 170 Russell March 29 NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS Margaret Court Arena March 29 JASON ISBELL Melbourne Recital Centre March 29 THE DECEMBERISTS Hamer Hall March 29 TAJ MAHAL Melbourne Recital Centre March 30 NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS 170 Russell March 30 LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL Howler March 30 MELISSA ETHERIDGE Palais Theatre March 30 VINTAGE TROUBLE The Corner March 30 STIFF LITTLE FINGERS 170 Russell March 31 ALLEN STONE The Corner March 31 WORLD’S END PRESS Howler April 1 MIKE ELRINGTON The Flying Saucer Club April 1 SHADY COTTAGE East Trentham April 1 THE BENNIES The Corner April 1 THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA Melbourne Recital Centre April 1 JACKSON BROWNE Palais Theatre April 1 BY THE MEADOW FESTIVAL Bambra April 1, 2 PAPA G AND THE STARCATS Shadow Electric April 2 NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE Corner Hotel April 2 AS A RIVAL Cherry Bar April 2 TIGERTOWN Northcote Social Club April 2 THE TIMBERS Yarra Hotel April 2 ED KUEPPER Melbourne Recital Centre April 2 CITY AND COLOUR Sidney Myer Music Bowl April 2 HONEYBONE Whole Lotta Love April 3 THE VASCO ERA + LITTLE RED The Corner BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 16

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April 3 BRIAN WILSON Palais Theatre April 3 LOW Melbourne Recital Centre April 4 ST ALI’S FREE MUSIC SERIES St Ali April 6 GORDIE TENTREES Billyroys Blues Bar, Bendigo April 7 KORAL & THE GOODBYE HORSES The Dogs Bar April 8, The Catfish April 9 HAILMARY Yah Yah’s April 8 MAYFAIR KITES The Worker Club April 8 MOONEE TUNES FESTIVAL Moonee Valley Racecourse April 8 MONTAIGNE Howler April 8 SKYSCRAPER STAN AND THE COMMISSION FLATS Cherry Bar April 8 SASKWATCH The Corner Hotel April 8 OH PEP! Northcote Social Club on April 8 CALIGULA’S HORSE Ding Dong Lounge April 8 THE MURLOCS The Tote April 8 THE GOON SAX The Tote April 9 CITY CALM DOWN The Corner April 9 THE LULU RAES + POLISH CLUB Shebeen April 9 WITH CONFIDENCE Arrow On Swanston April 9 MODERN BASEBALL The Reverence April 9, 10 CINEMUSICA Hamer Hall April 10, 11 DAUGHTER 170 Russel April 10 CHRIS ISAAK Margaret Court Arena April 13 TRIVIUM 170 Russel April 13 HÉLOISE The Grace Darling April 14, The Reverence April 15 WEDNESDAY 13 Corner Hotel April 14 METHYL ETHEL Northcote Social Club April 14 ABABCD The Gasometer April 15 UV BOI Northcote Social Club April 15 SPENCER P. JONES BENEFIT The Prince of Wales April 15 MONIQUE DIMATTINA Melbourne Recital Centre April 15 OPIUO 170 Russell April 15 TULLY ON TULLY The Workers Club April 16 HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS Bang April 16 SEAN MCMAHON Bella Union April 16 WALLAPOLOOZA The Corner Hotel April 16 SONS OF ZION The Croxton April 16 SPYRO GYRA Bird’s Basement April 19 - 24 NADIA REID Northcote Social Club April 19 BLACK SABBATH Rod Laver Arena April 19 GANG OF YOUTHS 170 Russell April 20, 21, 22 FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Festival Hall April 20 THIRSTY MERC Melbourne Public April 20 LOOSE TOOTH The Gasometer April 22 NO ZU Maxx Watt’s April 23 HILTOP HOODS + MSO Rod Laver Arena April 23 VANCE JOY Margaret Court Arena April 23 SARAH BLASKO The Forum April 23 THE GO SET The Tote April 24 PURE FESTIVAL Shed 14 April 24 COSMIC PSYCHOS The Tote April 25 JOSH GROBAN Palais Theatre April 25 DANNY BROWN Forum April 26 TWENTY ONE PILOTS The Forum April 27 RYAN BINGHAM Northcote Social Club April 27 VIC MENSA Prince Bandroom on April 28 MUTEMATH Corner Hotel April 28 RATATAT 170 Russell April 28, 29 THE BELLIGERENTS The Gasometer April 29 ODESZA Forum April 29 MS MR Prince Bandroom April 29 WIDE OPEN SPACE FESTIVAL Ross River Resort April 29 – May 1 VINCENT GIARRUSO The Toff In Town April 30 HEDGE FUND The Workers Club April 30 KADAVAR Corner Hotel April 30 GROOVIN THE MOO Prince of Wales Showground, Bendigo April 30 SUPERSUCKERS Cherry Bar April 30 CHERRYROCK016 Cherry and AC/DC Lane May 1 MATT CORBY Palais Theatre May 1, May 2 MILLENCOLIN 170 Russell May 3 RICHIE RAMONE Cherry Bar May 3 OF MONSTERS AND MEN Palais Theatre May 4, 5 THE TEMPER TRAP The Forum Theatre May 5 BLACK CAB Howler May 6 HINDS Northcote Social Club May 6 TINPAN ORANGE The Toff In Town May 7 COHEED AND CAMBRIA Max Watt’s May 7, 10 IRON MAIDEN Rod Laver Arena May 9 M83 The Forum Theatre May 10 RUDIMENTAL Margaret Court Arena May 10 STONNINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL City of Stonnington May 12 - 22. THE WONDER YEARS Corner Hotel May 12 MELODY POOL The Shadow Electric May 13

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Gig Of The Week

EAGLES OF DEATH METAL

The Croxton Bandroom March 24, 25, 31

When Eagles of Death Metal announced a limited run of Australian tour dates, their antipodean fan base let out a metaphorically deafening cheer. The American rockers added a second and then third show to their Melbourne stopover, due to the fact tickets were selling faster than you could say Peace, Love, Death Metal. They are playing at The Croxton on Thursday March 24, Friday March 25, and Thursday March 31.

LITTLE MAY Max Watts May 13 MELODICROCKFEST Elephant & Wheelbarrow May 13, 14 PURE GOLD LIVE Palais Theatre May 13 HENRY WAGONS & THE ONLY CHILDREN Howler May 14 THE VANNS The Evelyn May 14, 15 VIOLENT SOHO Forum Theatre May 14 L7 170 Russell May 17 ERIC BURDON AND THE ANIMALS The Palais May 18 SCREECHING WEASEL AND MXPX Prince Bandroom May 20 REMI Howler May 21 THIS IS HIP HOP Festival Hall May 21 CAT POWER The Melbourne Recital Centre May 22, 23 TINASHE The Forum May 25 THE BEARDS The Loft May 25, The Golden Vine May 26, Karova Lounge June 23, Barwon Club June 24, The Corner June 25 HOT DUB TIME MACHINE 170 Russell May 27 A WILHELM SCREAM The Reverence Hotel May 26 URTHBOY Howler May 27 MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA Max Watt’s May 28 THE LOVE JUNKIES The Workers Club May 28 ANGELUS APATRIDA Bendigo Hotel May 28 THE DRONES 170 Russell May 20, The Tote May 28 THE CAT EMPIRE The Forum Theatre May 27, 28 CHERIE CURRIE The Corner May 28 LAST DINOSAURS Northcote Social Club June 3, 4 DEAFHAVEN Corner Hotel June 3 SAFIA Mystery location June 3 ROBERT GLASPER TRIO Melbourne Recital Centre June 4 FEAR FACTORY Prince of Wales June 4 MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL Various Venues June 3 – June 12 PRIMAL FEAR The Northcote Social Club June 11 DMA’S The Corner June 11 WE LOST THE SEA Old Bar June 18 BIG COUNTRY The Corner June 15 OLYMPIA Northcote Social Club June 18 STEEL PANTHER Festival Hall June 18 SWERVEDRIVER Corner Hotel June 23 THE LIVING END The Forum June 24 THE RUBENS Margaret Court Arena June 25 MAT MCHUGH The Toff July 2

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TOTALLY 80’S Palais Theatre July 15 COG 170 Russell July 15 MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS Rod Laver Arena August 5 GYMPIE MUSIC MUSTER Amamoor Creek State Forest August 25- 28 BEN FOLDS WITH YMUSIC Palais Theatre August 26 BRING ME THE HORIZON Margaret Court Arena September 2 CRYPTOPSY Northcote Social Club September 3 HENRY ROLLINS Arts Centre’s State Theatre September 19, 20 ELLIE GOULDING Rod Laver Arena October 8 MSO - INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARC Arts Centre November 4, 5 EARTHCORE Pyalong November 24 - 28

Beat Presents R U M O U R S : P S Y, R A D I O H E A D, THE CORRS = N e w A nnouncements

spanish 2016 the brag 255x180_Layout 1 21/03/16 4:31 PM Page 4

13 APRIL - 1 MAY PALACE CINEMA COMO • THE ASTOR THEATRE PALACE BALWYN • PALACE BRIGHTON BAY

FESTIVAL TRUMAN HIGHLIGHT!

“WISTFUL AND WELL-OBSERVED… AMUSING AND AFFECTING” VARIETY

Ricardo Darín and Javier Cámara star in this funny, moving and hugely entertaining reflection on male relationships which won Best Film, Director and Actor at the recent Goya (Spanish Academy) awards. B E AT.C O M . A U

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 17

THE MICK FLEETWOOD BLUES BAND THERE AND BACK AGAIN B Y D AV I D J A M E S Y O U N G

As wonderful as it can be to see artists still performing several decades into their career, it’s easy to note the shortcuts that some will take. The key will be brought down a few steps in order to better accommodate for the artist’s singing. The song will be slowed down in order for the musicians to keep up. Failing that, if they’re still able to sing and play at the same level? One word: Teleprompter. Mick Fleetwood, however, has no interest in such diminishing practices. Anyone who saw the British drumming veteran behind the kit with Fleetwood Mac when they toured the country last October will testify to his uncanny ability to hold down the fort as a pure-bred drumming powerhouse. The unwieldy drum solos and big jams on songs like World Turning just still second nature. So, what’s Fleetwood’s secret to keeping the beat after 40-plus years? “I take it as quite a compliment that people still think I play as well now as when I did when I was younger,” crows Fleetwood, who turns 69 this year. “It’s a funny thing, really. I certainly try and keep fit, and I work at it. I’m always training, at least three or four days a week. I’m alive, y’know? I’m blessed that I’ve got this sort of stamina, as I’m one of those classic idiot drummer that goes in swinging. It’s very much in the style of Keith Moon, or Animal from The Muppets, that sort of thing. Sometimes, I wish I was more like [Rolling Stones drummer] Charlie Watts. He’s my favourite drummer because he always plays it so cool – it’s all in the wrists with him, and it never even looks like he’s so much as breaking a sweat up there.” Roughly six months after Fleetwood were in town revisiting Rumours, the band’s long-time leader and sole constant is set to return to Australian shores across the Easter long weekend as a part of the gargantuan Bluesfest lineup. Joined by the band he has moonlighted with for many years, Fleetwood will be playing a

mix of electric blues and early rock’n’roll in what can only be described as the most aptly-named band in the history of Bluesfest: The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band. Surely if any band does what it says on the tin, it’s this one. “I live in Maui, which is a Hawaiian island,” says Fleetwood. “The band I’ve assembled are all from that area, too. Rick Vito is a brilliant singer and guitar player who’s a very old and very dear friend, and he sings for us. With the band, we take it pretty much all the way back to the very beginning. It’s a documentation of where I come from – we play a lot of the songs that the earliest incarnations of Fleetwood Mac used to play. It’s a rock’n’roll band and it’s a blues band in the truest sense of both. It’s a chance for us to do a lot of cool older stuff. Rick and the band get to bring their own flavour, and I get to relive some old memories. It’s a cool setup, the way we have it. We get to have a blast, and the fans get to come down and blow it out with us.” Long before Fleetwood Mac were lead by Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham,

the band took its cues from the great early blues musicians, guided by 12-bar jams and harmonica rather than frilly tambourines and inner-band turmoil. Of course, there was nothing wrong with the latter, which produced Rumours . But Fleetwood himself always held a deepseated love of the blues. When he’s not touring the world and playing the pop hits of a generation, he likes to take things back to where it all began, as an idealistic teenager who headed for the big city of London with a drum kit and a dream. “The love and the affinity that one has for where they came from as a musician never goes away,” he testifies. “That never leaves the party. In truth, it’s something where you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Fleetwood Mac will be back at it, doing what we love to do as that band. Having my own band and my own situation allows me to have a bit of fun and do something that comes really easily. We don’t have to write 20 brandnew songs every time that we tour – we have catalogues worth of songs to draw

from. It allows us to do whatever we want, really, and allows us to get to do it all on the fly. We don’t need two weeks of rehearsal – we just get up there and we do what we do.” Fans will get the chance to see Fleetwood, Vito and the rest of the MFBB in action at Bluesfest, as well as some key headline taking place either side of the festival. Fleetwood admits that it’s a remarkably quick turnaround between visits – “I’m a glutton for punishment, aren’t I?” he quips – but is incredibly thankful to the festival for the opportunity to come back again so soon. “This is what I’m talking about,” he says. “The freedom of this band allows us to do stuff like this.”

compilation albums, adding her vocal stylings to the musical creations of those who have come before her. This has given her the chance to work with some of the biggest names in music, including Tom Jones, with whom she recorded tracks for 2014’s The Wexford Carols; a compilation of traditional Irish Christmas carols. “I love collaborations in general,” Giddens says. “Whenever I get the chance to work with other people who are in it for the same reasons that I am, which is for the music and the heart and the spirit… One of my favourites was definitely the Bob Dylan compilation we did for Amnesty International, Chimes Of Freedom. [Carolina Chocolate Drops] did the recording to tape and it was a really memorable day.” Released last year, Giddens’ debut solo album, Tomorrow Is My Turn, includes a number of songs penned by prominent female musicians such as Dolly Parton. Elizabeth Cotte and Sister Rosetta

Tharpe. The selection came easily to Giddens – it was simply a matter of including the tracks that didn’t quite fit the sound of Carolina Chocolate Drops. “It really came out of my experiences and an urge to pay homage to the women who had come before me. Being a woman musician, you’re in the minority, even though that is changing slowly. You see yourself surrounded by men all the time, not just as performers. There are loads of female performers, but where you start to really notice the divide is when you get into management and producing and labels – that can make it feel very, very isolating.”

THE MICK FLEETWOOD BLUES BAND is playing at 170 Russell on Tuesday March 29. They are also playing at Byron Bay Bluesfest at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm from Thursday March 24 – Monday March 28. Blue Again is out now through 429 Records.

RHIANNON GIDDENS TOMORROW COMES TODAY BY TEGAN REEVES

The birth of a solo career is often a matter of chance, as

was the case with Rhiannon Giddens, who since 2005 has stood front and centre of the North Carolina old-time

string band Carolina Chocolate Drops. In 2013, Giddens – the band’s singer, violinist and banjo player – was

invited to take part in the Another Day, Another Time

concert in New York, a celebration of the Coen Brothers’ film Inside Llewyn Davis, alongside Patti Smith, Gillian Welch, Marcus Mumford and a slew of other notable musicians. Being in the right place at the right time

certainly paid off for Giddens’ solo career, as it was at this concert where she met seminal producer T Bone Burnett (Roy Orbison, Elton John, Elvis Costello). “T Bone Burnett offered to do a solo record for me after we did the Another Day, Another Time concert together in New York,” Giddens says. “A lot of things happened there – I guess I made a big splash, and T Bone decided that I had been in a band for long enough and it was time to do something on my own. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 18

“I’m the kind of person that just does what’s in front of me, and I was there to do some songs, and get in and get out, and I didn’t expect that performance to lead to what it did. It was such a fairy tale story.” Apart from the Coen Brothers tribute, Giddens has featured on a number of B E AT.C O M . A U

RHIANNON GIDDENS is playing at the Corner Hotel on Wednesday March 23. She’s also appearing at Bluesfest 2016 at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, NSW, from Thursday March 24 – Monday March 28. Tomorrow Is My Turn out now through Nonesuch/Warner.

This Week: ACMI has brought a new look and feel to its refreshed Games Lab, a communal game playing hub in the heart of its Screen Worlds exhibition. The redesigned Games Lab comprises of eleven new games including an enticing mix of big budget and independent releases that celebrate the craft, culture and community of video games. Featuring BAFTA Award-winning Lumino City, indie adventure game Journey and Nintendo’s newest take on a classic with Mario Kart 8, the latest exhibits will give visitors a taste of the sophistication and artistry of video game development. Other games ready to play include the Australian developed De Blob 2, retro inspired Nidhogg and wilderness survival challenge Firewatch. The revamped Games Lab has already taken off and can be found at ACMI. Game on. RocKwiz has always had really, really good Fridays, but in the past they’ve been in a big top at the Byron Bay Bluesfest. This year, the crew are coming out of the mud and heading to the comfort of the State Theatre stage at the Arts Centre for RocKwiz’s Really Really Good Friday. More of a concert than a quiz, the show will feature Julia Zemiro, Brian Nankervis and The RocKwiz Team alongside Tim Rogers, Deborah Conway, Rich Hall, Kitty Flanagan, Daryl Braithwaite and Kate Miller-Heidke in a show loaded with more music, more comedy and more variety than ever before. As well as performing, guests will take to the desks to banter with Zemiro and Nankervis about Fridays good and bad in a two hour special event. Catch it on Friday March 25. The National Gallery of Victoria presents one of the most recognisable and iconic paintings in the world, the exceptional and historic Portrait of the Artist’s Mother painted by master artist James McNeill Whistler in 1871. This focused exhibition marks the first time that this large and imposing painting has travelled to Australia on loan from the Musée d’Orsay, Paris. Unlike any other exhibition presented by the NGV, Whistler’s Mother explores this complex painting from various perspectives ranging from its volatile reception; the life of its sitter – Anna Whistler; the influences that informed its production; and the conservation story behind its making. The NGV has also produced a short film regarding the painting which further immerses visitors in the work. Find it at NGV from Friday March 25 to Sunday June 19.

pick of the week

Celebrating 30 years of laughs, The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is taking off for another year with a massive program that encompasses the past, present and future of Australian and international comedy. With four weeks of comedy totalling more than 6,600 performances and over 2,000 performers, the festival has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1987 with just 56 shows. Among the many comics taking to the stage include Celia Pacquola, Anthony Morgan, Hannah Gadsby, Judith Lucy, Tommy Little, Frank Woodley, Wil Anderson, Tom Gleeson, Sam Simmons, Peter Helliar alongside Sarah Millican, Sara Pascoe, Danny Bhoy, Penny Arcade, David O’Doherty, Arj Barker, Stephen K Amos, Ongals, Urzila Carlson, Luisa Omielan, Ross Noble and thousands more. Laugh with an old favourite while making new discoveries when it runs from Wednesday March 23 to Sunday April 17 at venues throughout the city.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 20

With James Di Fabrizio. Do you have thoughts, news or time for a chat? Email james@beat.com.au.

Dawn Wells by liza d ez f ouli

“I

’m a pretty good cook,” declares Dawn Wells, famously known as Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island, the world’s longest running sitcom which still screens around the globe in more than 30 different languages. Wells has just completed her second cookbook and she’s proud to tell Beat about it when we speak to her ahead of her appearance at this year’s Supanova Pop Culture Expo – now in its 14th year, bringing a variety of entertainers and popular icons to Australia. “I’m proud to be part of Supanova,” Wells says. “Our country has being doing this for a while. When you were on TV all those years ago, fans didn’t get to meet movie stars. And we were working so hard back then, we didn’t get to meet the fans. When you’ve been around as long as I have, you get to meet three generations. People bring their grandchildren to say hello. It’s a chance for me to connect with people.” Interestingly, Wells’ career has merged with her passion for the culinary arts. “This one is Kitchen Creations – home recipes for my fans,” she says on her cookbook. “It’s easy cooking. You don’t have to spend five hours in the kitchen. The first one was island recipes; some recipes from the cast members. I’m half Italian and some of these recipes in Kitchen Creations came from my mother. She was a fantastic cook.” Wells is proud of her long years with Gilligan’s Island. Admittedly, the show doesn’t offer the most complex characterisations or narratives. However, that’s not the point. “It brings joy to the world. Joy and love for

fifty years,” says Wells. “A lot of people love it, and why should you not embrace that? It’s not about the role, but it’s the concept. That’s what’s sustained it over all this time, along with the great cast. You’ve got seven characters on an island together – how are they going to get along? What seven people would you want to be stranded on a remote island with? These characters have a hard time living together. They’ve not got one thing in common. It’s like families. The world is what you’re looking at.” Wells says she’d like to venture in to more dramatic roles. “I like the idea of shocking you,” she reveals. “Shakespeare doesn’t interest me, but I’d like to do other drama. Comedy is always good. Rehearsal’s my favourite part of the process. It’s better than performing.” Besides writing cook books and acting, Wells is constantly on the go with all sorts of projects. She is chairwoman of the Terry Lee Wells Foundation – focusing on women and children in Northern Nevada,

EVERYTHING MELBOURNE

and her other creative ventures include working as a producer, author, spokesperson, journalist, motivational speaker and teacher. “In this business you’ve got to keep ahead of everything,” she declares. “I’ve got a couple of TV projects in development. I’m a traveller. I travel the world. I’ve been to the Solomon Islands and canoed there. And I paint. I get lost when I paint.” Who inspires her? “Oh, a lot of people. Helen Mirren. Maya Angelou. When it comes to comedy, Lucille Ball.” Wells is inclined to be philosophical. “I want people to know I’ve lived a good life. That I’m productive and compassionate. Every day is important. Did you thank someone? Did you help someone? Did you make a difference? We’re all so busy with our own lives, but we do have an obligation to contribute something.” Ultimately, Wells wants to use her platform for positive causes. “If you’ve got the power and the opportunity to do so, then you should do something with it. You never know what’s around the corner. I have a cute story. My dad passed away about 30 years ago. I’ve done a lot of radio interviews and about three months ago I was doing an interview and I was talking about my father, how we were at the hospital when he died, but didn’t make it to his room in time. That day on the radio a phone call came in, from a woman who told me she’d been my dad’s nurse. She said, ‘He talked about you all the time.’ That came to me all those years later. You can’t give up. You can’t give in.” DAWN WELLS will appear at Supanova Pop Culture Expo 2016 alongside Jack Gleeson, Christopher Judge, Allison Mack and more from Friday April 15 – Sunday April 17 at the Melbourne Showgrounds.

For more arts news, reviews and interviews visit beat.com.au

Coming Up Melbourne International Comedy Festival Wednesday March 23 – Sunday April 17 Various Venues

Degas: A New Vision

Friday June 24 – Sunday September 18 National Gallery of Victoria

Cirque Adrenaline

Bangarra Dance Company

Friday April 1 – Thursday April 7 State Theatre

To Present Our Land People

Supanova Pop Culture Expo

Stories

Friday April 15 – Sunday April 17 Melbourne Showgrounds

Circus Oz’s TWENTYSIXTEEN June 15 – July 10 Circus Oz Big Top, Birrarung Marr

An Evening With Henry Rollins

Monday September 19 & Tuesday September 20 State Theatre

Raiders of the Lost Ark Live in Concert

Friday November 4 – Saturday November 5 Hamer Hall

Giveaway: Supanova

The Astor Unveils 80th Anniversary Program The iconic Astor Theatre is celebrating 80 years with their latest anniversary program, offering a slew of classics, oddities, cult favourites and some special birthday festivities. As well as seeing the return of the long-time Astor favourite Titanic in all of its 70mm glory, The Goonies, Eraserhead, Christopher Nolan’s Inception and Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita will also screen in 35mm. Capping it off comes The Raiders of the Lost Ark, Taxi Driver, and Lawrence of Arabia in rich 4k. Keeping with Astor traditions, there will also be a sing-a-long film on the program, this time screening Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Some other key sessions to look out for include a John Pierre Melville micro-retrospective including a rare 35mm print of Le Cercle Rouge and a special ANZAC Day screening of Peter Weir’s iconic war drama, Gallipoli. In a birthday special, the Astor will host a full day of silver-screen classics including a Bugs Bunny Revue featuring original cartoons presented on 35mm film and Kubrick‘s seminal 2001: A Space Odyssey. The new Astor program will run from Sunday March 20 to Saturday July 7.

Chemsex To Screen At

The Hot Tub Cinema Has

Cinema Nova

Arrived In Melbourne

A new documentary film, following the rising phenomenon of chemsex – a term coined to describe drug-fueled group sex – will be screening in Melbourne in April. Tapping into the lives of a group of men who have been caught in a cycle of chemsex, selected screenings of the documentary will also feature a panel discussion with some of Australia’s leading health professionals who will talk on the issue. Chemsex will screen at Carlton’s Cinema Nova, with a free premiere screening on Thursday April 14, before further ticketed screenings follow on April 15, 16 and 18.

After taking off in cities like London and New York, the Hot Tub Cinema has officially splashed its way into Melbourne. The aquatic and cinematic will combine with titles including Friends With Benefits, Jumanji, 21 Jump Street, The Karate Kid and Step Brothers featuring over the six week event. The hot tubs will be heated to 40 degrees, with bar service plating up cocktails namely, martinis - all night. And of course, all hot tub water is tested regularly and chemically treated by fully qualified lifeguards. The Hot Tub Cinema will run at The Common Man in South Wharf from Thursday April 21 — Sunday May 29. Tickets on sale through Splash Out Hire.

Australia’s premiere pop culture expo, Supanova, is bringing a cavalcade of icons from screens the world over to Melbourne. Coming along for the ride is Jack Gleeson (Game of Thrones), Manu Bennett (The Shannara Chronicles), Dawn Wells (Gilligan’s Island), Eka Darville(Jessica Jones), Daniel Sharman (Teen Wolf), award winning author Maria V. Synder (Study of Glass), Bonnie Wright (Harry Potter) and heaps more. We’ve got a bundle of passes to give away, and we want to send you there.

Bangarra will present Our Land People Stories, a trio of performances featuring work from acclaimed artistic director Stephen Page, who is celebrating his 25th year as artistic director for the company. In his latest creation for Bangarra, he has experimented with turning the visual art works of popular Indigenous painter Nyapanyaya Yunupingu into movement pieces. Also on the bill includes the work of Jasmin Sheppard, with her dance, Macq. Capping it off is a piece by choreographers Daniel Riley and Beau Dean Riley Smith, entitled Miyagan, a dance story mapping the cultural heritage of Wiradjuri country in New South Wales. Our Land People Stories will play at the Arts Centre from Thursday September 1 until Sunday September 10. Tickets are available through the Bangarra website.

Cirque du Soleil to Present Kooza Cirque du Soleil is returning with their latest work, arriving as an exploration into the intimate and human elements of circus. Kooza will see an international cast of 50 acrobats, musicians, singers and actors engage in a raw expression of jazz, funk and Bollywood beats combined with heart stopping feats and humour. The story follows The Innocent as he moves through a unique journey of self discovery, passing through a comic kingdom of eccentric characters and thrills all while paying homage to the art of clowning. The Cirque du Soleil Big Top will return to Flemington Racecourse from Friday January 20, 2017 until Sunday February 12, 2017. Tickets available via the Cirque du Soleil website.

Head to beat.com.au to win.

Arts Centre Melbourne To Present Sugarland The Arts Centre Melbourne has teamed up with the Australian Theatre for Young People to present a new play exploring the world of Northern Territory teenagers. Sugarland was formed over a two-yearperiod as ATYP playwrights Rachael Coopes and Wayne Blair undertook a series of residencies in Katherine to create a story that would give audiences an understanding of what life is like growing up in one of Australia’s most remote regions. The story documents the unlikely friendship of Nina and Erica, who find that a shared interest in music is enough to ease the other difficulties in their lives. Sugarland will be screened at the Arts Centre, Playhouse Rehearsal Room from Thursday May 19 until Saturday May 21.

Paradise to run at MICF PolyEster Books Re-Opens As Pop-Up Shop The iconic PolyEster Books, which recently closed its doors, has returned as a pop-up/pop-down experience, specialising in the same weird and wonderful literature and rare oddities it was originally revered for. Offering a diverse range of rare and unusual books, records, CDs, memorabilia and art, the offerings arrive from personal collections from serial collectors of the strange and curious. Some of the many rare items include outsider art painted by John Wayne Gacy, vintage High Times magazines, Neil Young’s Eldorado EP and Frank Zappa’s Old Masters Volume 1 & 2 box sets. Other curios include a complete collection of books about Charles Manson, a fully operational drive-in movie car window speaker, an Astro Boy model kit, original Tiki mugs and more. The PolyEster Books Pop-Down store will remain open until early May, or until the shelves are picked clean at 330 Brunswick Street. G E T S O M E C U LT U R E U P YA

Trillcumber are presenting Paradise, a narrative sketch show about fresh starts, escapism and earthly responsibilities – delving into a tale of life choices and rocket ships. It follows their successful sketch debut, Is This Intimacy? at last year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Melbourne Fringe. Written and performed by Simon McCulloch, Hayley Tantau, Mario Hannah, and Ryan Zorzut with direction from Daniel Pavatich, Paradise will show at The Improv Conspiracy Theatre from Friday March 25 – Sunday April 17. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 21

For more arts news, reviews and interviews visit beat.com.au

Ross Noble B y A d am N orri s

Last time I saw Ross Noble, he very nearly killed us all. Well, alright, so maybe not directly. Sydney had been lashed by weather so severe that the roof of the Enmore Theatre buckled under the strain, and the performance we were promised had to be postponed. But now, as his show Brain Dump approaches its run at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival – the grim truth can be revealed. The Northumberland comic was quite content to lure us to our seats and certain death like some smiling, murderous piper. Lucky he’s such a charming bugger.

Jake Johannsen by A le x an d er Darling

Jake Johannsen is an unlikely first-timer at this year’s MICF. Not because he already has 30 years of making audiences laugh with his quirky takes on everyday events and his understated yet warm, relatable delivery.

Cirque Adrenaline B y C hri s tine T s imbi s

Ross Steeves is the ultimate jack of all trades: he is an actor, improviser, dancer and a clown with a love for performance and stunt fighting. This all-rounder has expanded his horizons by impersonating all sorts of different characters and roles that he enjoys improvising himself, and now he’s about to take the stage in Melbourne for the upcoming show, Cirque Adrenaline – boasting the world’s most daring and death-defying acts, including the Wheel of Death and the Sphere of Fear alongside clowning and humour. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 22

“Oh, I’d forgotten about that!” Noble cries in his inimitable brogue. “That was pretty full on though, that roof collapse. All of the water that had gathered up there burst through to the electrics, and the electrical board exploded. So the theatre people there said, ‘Well, you might want to not let people in?’ like it was a question. But I thought, well, as long as its not on fire now, it should be alright.” Noble’s live shows are renowned for being unpredictable beasts, which is really the very nature of improvised comedy. Yet his audiences themselves can be just as mysterious, and over the years he has worked out subtle ways of gauging just what kind of a crowd he might expect. “You can tell. When the lights go down, there’s a noise that comes off the crowd but it’s also a feeling in the room – an anticipation. If you were there three nights running you might think the audience sounds exactly the same, but they’re totally different. Sometimes I’ll think of something and the audience will laugh right away, while sometimes there’s a beat before they get it. Then sometimes – and this is one of my favourite things – you get to a joke where rather than seeing the punchline, you give them the ingredients. Say you’ve been talking about a tiger hiding in a box. Or maybe a car bomb that’s about to go off, right? Two minutes later, you’re miming that you’re in a car and pretend to turn the key, you look down and go, ‘Oh no.’ You’re not explaining the joke, you’re just doing it. All those elements that you’ve been leading up to come together.” With so many upcoming gigs scheduled for Brain Dump, it’s safe to say that Australia has quite a sweet spot for Noble. He has been touring here for years, and even lived just outside of Melbourne for a time until a bushfire destroyed his family home and the Noble clan relocated to the UK. While his family were thankfully unhurt, it certainly put the comic’s life and

“The mistake that people make starting out is that they’ll try and find a style. The trick is, let the style find you. The best comics are sort of themselves on stage, it’s just an extension. That’s just me in front of people showing off, but it’s me.” fortunes in perspective. Nowadays his surrealist skills are unsurpassed, largely due to an acceptance of simply being himself. “The mistake that people make starting out is that they’ll try and find a style. The trick is, let the style find you. The best comics are sort of themselves on stage, it’s just an extension. That’s just me in front of people showing off, but it’s me.” It’s a personal philosophy that extends to others in the world of comedy, both new and established. At his core, Noble celebrates the idiosyncratic. Don’t mimic the easy laughs we’ve heard a thousand times before, don’t replicate your idols. “You see these comics who desperately want to be Bill Hicks, and you just think, that’s not who you are,” says Noble. If you’re true to yourself and go out there, you’ll find out what kind of comedian you are. ROSS NOBLE will perform his show Brain Dump at Her Majesty’s Theatre on Thursday March 24 and Friday March 25 as well as at The Arts Centre on Sunday March 27 and Monday March 8.

Not because he’s one of America’s most prolific standups on the back of virtually non-stop touring, award nominations, several TV specials and a record 46 appearances on David Letterman’s show. No, his appearance at this year’s fest is unlikely because, were it not for Adam Hills, he wouldn’t be coming here at all. “I first met Adam 14 years ago at a comedy festival in Kilkenny [The Cat Laughs Festival, Ireland],” Johannsen explains. “I thought Adam’s act was hilarious, and he was a fun guy to talk to offstage, and I saw him again a few more times at the same festival. “At the most recent one, we were sitting around drinking and having a beer after the show, and even then I didn’t realize how successful he was. I was telling him about having done some TV pilots in the States and that all that stuff is fun and it’d be great to have your own television show. But what I really liked was performing live, to be in that room, with that audience and kind of engage them and take them on a conversational journey. “And then last summer, I was in London and I pinged him on twitter to see if he was around and he was. So we got together and he said, ‘You know, I’ve been thinking about what you said, and you should really come down to Melbourne’. I thought, ‘Oh, I’d love to do that’.” Johannsen makes his debut at the MICF with Jake Johannsen is Talking Show. Produced by Hills, the show will see Johannsen do what he does best – finding the funny in experiences most will relate to, be it death, aging, family or that unavoidable goldmine of material

for comedians – the US presidential election. Johannsen says coming to Melbourne has been on his to-do list for a while, but the realities of the American comedy circuit make overseas touring hard. “Agents in the states are so busy booking you in the this country and their attitude is ‘Why would you want to go there? You’ll be away for all that time, you could make more money here’. But my thing is, this isn’t about money. This is about life experience and getting out there and seeing new comedians, making those connections. I’m doing it all for my heart really.” In 30 years, Johanssen has never been away from the stage for more than a month. While his style has remained consistent, Johannsen says he’s still noticed his evolution as a comedian. “Just like if you speak a language or play an instrument, you keep your chops up by doing it again and again. I feel what’s changed is I’ve gotten more of a way to understand the audience that’s going to be at any given show. “That’s one of the fun things for me in coming to Melbourne though. I’ve been touring the States for all these years and going back to cities I’ve been to dozens of times. It’s going be fun for me to come to Melbourne and see a whole new audience in a whole new place.”

The art of silliness was encouraged in his family. His mother was always impersonating different characters, as well as his sisters. After the untimely passing of his parents, Steeves took off to New York to follow his dreams. “They died when I was 23, from cancer six months apart from each other. It was devastating and it was just one of those traumatic life experiences that happened to me. It gave me the opportunity to say, ‘OK. What am I going to do now? What do I do?’. I think if they were still alive I’d still be back in Virginia.” Steeves’ has immense talent in the art of improvisation, showcased in a favourite character of his named Roberto Pallamino. “He’s like a flamingo dancer, slash bull fighter and expert on love and lovemaking. He’s a Spanish kind of sounding guy and he’s got a serious lisp and wears these ridiculous Spandex pants and can move his butt.” Steeves’ other favourite improvisational character to play is a woman named Lacrisha. “[She’s all about] woman empowerment, and she’s a burlesque dancer. She does have fake nails and she doesn’t waste time, she just uses Scotch tape to put them on. “One thing you can say about her; you can take her out of the ghetto, but you can’t take the ghetto out of her,” he laughs. Both of the characters do reflect aspects of his own personality, allowing him to explore avenues of his self that he otherwise could not. “I have to say, if you can learn how to do other characters and sort of get away with it, it’s one of the most therapeutic things to do. It’s like, ‘Today I’m going to be this person, and this person doesn’t take any crap off of anybody’. I think the best thing about characters is feeling free to be as obnoxious as possible; you can just let it out. I would never do that, but my character? Absolutely.”

A lot of Steeves performance stems from his love of slapstick, much of which will be on display at Cirque Adrenaline, a spectacular show that integrates clowning with daredevil motorcyclists and complex aerial stunts. “I love either being punched in the face or running into walls. Jumping over things, falling downstairs – that’s kind of my thing. Stunts for me, it’s quantity not quality. I just keep doing it. The older I get, the less crazy I’ll be.” Ross’ future goals are to continue touring with his family and take them all around the world. “I just got married,” he says. “My wife always wanted to go around the world and we were always wondering , ‘How are we going to do that?’. Then all of a sudden, I vowed to her at the wedding vows, without knowing how – ‘I’ll take you around the world, I promise you’, and here we are. She and my one-year-old are coming along.”

EVERYTHING MELBOURNE

JAKE JOHANNSEN will perform from Thursday March 24 – Sunday April 17 at the Greek Centre, Parthenon as part of the 2016 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Ross Steeves will perform in CIRQUE ADRENALINE at the Arts Centre’s State Theatre from Friday April 1 – Sunday April 10.

For more arts news, reviews and interviews visit beat.com.au

Review

JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION B y C ara Athena

Ah, popular culture in the blessed ‘90s. A world where Fox Mulder and Dana Scully were our heroes, Michael Jordan reigned supreme, kids rollerbladed through the streets in a flying V formation, people chanted “Rufio” and Jonathan Taylor Thomas actually existed. And then there was Jurassic Park. Anyone around in the early ‘90s can indeed recall being constantly bombarded with dinosaur imagery and merchandise at every turn, or piecing together that goddamn glow-in-the-dark T.

Rex model bone by bone. And it was kind of awesome. Prehistoric hysteria ruled. But now it’s 2016, the kids have all grown up, and Hollywood’s recent attempt to revive our collective Jurassic Park memory through the latest Jurassic World film left those initially-eager punters kind of jaded. So how would Jurassic World: The Exhibition stack up in the eyes of a near 30-year-old adult, who struggles to identify the visual differences between a Brontosaurus

and a phallic looking tree trunk? Did I need to swallow the mysterious tablet I’d found in the toilets of The Tote the night before to feel the same sense of exhilaration I would’ve felt if I was attending this exhibition as a kid? All I know is this: when I’m standing in the Melbourne Museum lobby, dead sober, and a nine-foot tall Velociraptor races toward me snarling and snapping its jaws in my face, I’m legitimately frightened. Suddenly, the deeply buried memory of six-year-old me in the cinema howling in sheer terror during Jurassic Park became far too real. This was wild. Before we embark on our journey, we make a quick pit stop at a green-screen and awkwardly pose for a photo, before we board a ship destined to Isla Nublar. It’s here we’re introduced to the neck-scarf donning Deirdre, our tour guide and dino-tutor. While Deirdre was indeed informative, she’s certainly no Sam Neill detailing the intricacies of a ferocious Velociraptor ambush to a young child. Once we depart the ship, the gates open into Jurassic World. There’s something about stepping inside Jurassic World: The Exhibition that makes you feel a little giddy inside. It’s this curious mix of childhood nostalgia coupled with genuine excitement at the prospect of facing gargantuan animatronic dinosaurs that elicits a bizarre adrenalin rush. This rush intensifies as we encounter the first dinosaur on our voyage – the towering Brachiosaurus, who swings her big old neck around and munches down on some fake trees. Good start. Then we meet a sweet little Pachyrhinosaurus, who pokes his head in and out of the foliage to say hi and just generally act cute. As we shuffle through Jurassic World, we get to “nawww” at the Triceratops and her baby and shove our hands

into a pile of freakishly warm dino droppings. We then step inside John Hammond’s Creation Lab, where we view dinosaur eggs and adorable newborns in their incubators and get schooled on Hammond’s genetic engineering process. Chunks of solidified amber containing tiny mosquitoes adorn the walls as we head toward the Tyrannosaurus Rex Kingdom. Now shit’s getting real. It’s clear we were lulled into a false sense of security by those delightful herbivores, because now we’re in a dark room and there’s nothing around but you and him and a van. A thunderous roar crashes overhead and this enormous fucking T. Rex emerges from the shadows and pushes things around with his nose. The child within is freaking balls, and you realise there’s no way in hell you’d bring anyone under the age of seven into this room. Round of applause Jurassic World – you’ve successfully perpetuated the Hollywood legend of the T.Rex being the ultimate carnivorous villain and supreme leader amongst all the dinosaurs. We then wander on through to The Gyrosphere, where we get to hang out with a terrified Stegosaurus and its frightening companion. There’s lots of loud noise and flashing lights and general dino panic. And that’s it. While that inner child is doing star jumps because Jurassic World: The Exhibition was a thrilling experience, it’s abundantly clear to the near 30-year-old adult that the multi-bazillion dollar Jurassic Park behemoth is as strong as ever, more than 20 years on. JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION is on now at the Melbourne Museum and will run until Sunday October 9

W I T H T om B ran d - tombran d @ B E A T . C O M . A U

Out Of The Closet Queer happenings with Anna Whitelaw

We are living in strange times for the gay rights movement. On the one hand, we have the NSW government and the Sydney Morning Herald making formal apologies to the original activists of the movement, and federal party leaders marching in the parade. We have overwhelming majorities of Australians supporting marriage equality. We have historically high numbers of LGBT people coming out, according to Facebook. We have transgender identity being discussed and acknowledged more openly and sensitively than many would have imagined possible a few years ago. And yet we have the Turnbull government last week announcing in response to their review of the Safe Schools program that they will be gutting funding for the program from 2017. This prompted Daniel

Andrews to his credit to announce the state government in Victoria will fund the program itself, and prompted snap rallies and outpourings of emotion from young LGBT people telling stories of their own experience and what a difference Safe Schools would have made for them. After the furore about Gayby Baby screening in a high school classroom that landed that innocent documentary on the front page of the Daily Telegraph, this week we had The Australian’s front page op-ed screaming about the queer propagandists brainwashing our kids over a totally voluntary anti bullying initiative that helped provide schools with resources to help support LGBT students. It is also as if the conservatives are so desperate to find new battlegrounds in the culture war against the LGBT community precisely because they cannot accept they’ve

already lost the war. While I had journalists ask me if Australia really needed a gay music festival after Gaytimes held its inaugural magical mountaintop camping festival over Labour Day, I also had a good friend recount how they took a train through the western suburbs of Sydney and got called a faggot not once, but twice. If that’s not enough of a justification for why we need Safe Schools and gay spaces, I don’t know what is. Over Easter weekend, you’re spoilt for choice with party options. On Easter Saturday, Unicorns will bring their glittery gender queer fabulousness to Rubix Warehouse in Brunswick for a night where getting naked and covering yourself in body paint is de rigure. On Easter Sunday, Sundaylicious is back at the Wharf

EVERYTHING MELBOURNE

Hotel from 3pm. Later that night, GiRLTHING and the Thursgay team up for Confessions, a themed party at Laundry Bar on Johnston St. For the muscle boys, Rock City are throwing a beefy party Oxygen at renovated The Terminus Hotel in Abbotsford with 8 DJs all playing commercial house on Good Friday from 12 noon to 8pm. If you’d rather party with your hipster straight friends, the final Daydreams of the summer is going down at the Gaso on Easter Sunday and promises to be epic. And if you’re away for the long weekend, you’ve got Melbourne Queer Film Festival to entertain you next week when you get back. Book tickets and check out the full program at mqff.com.au

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 23

snaps khokolat koated

club guide wednesday march 23 • COGNITIVE DISSONANCE FEAT: TIM HEANEY + RON Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. • COQ ROQ WEDNESDAY - FEAT: JENS BEAMIN + AGENT 86 + MR THOM + JOYBOT + BLABERUNNER Lucky Coq, Windsor. 8:30pm. • CURIOUS TALES - FEAT: DJ WHO + TIGERFUNK + TOM SHOWTIME + FLAGRANT Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. • MODEST MOUSE Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne. 8:00pm. $79.72. • REVOLVER WEDNESDAYS - FEAT: DANIELSAN + ARKS Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm.

thursday march 24 •3181 THURSDAYS &

faktory

REWORK - FEAT: HANS DC + MATT RADOVICH + SAM ARELLANO + CHESTWIG + MORE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 6:00pm. • CAMPUS THURSDAYS Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. • CROSSING TRACKS - FEAT: CC:DISCO + EDD FISHER + PREQUEL + MORE Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. • DETRIMENTAL AUDIO FEAT: RUFFHOUSE VS NOCTURNAL + PICKLEMAN + MORE Grumpy’s Green, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. • DISCO VOLANTE - FEAT: DELTIOD CURVE + THE MILKMAN + BOWANCE + YANI ARSENAKIS + BALTIMORE GUN CLUB Onesixone, Prahran. 8:00pm. • GRIZ + SUN:MONX + SKIITOUR + JESSWAH Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 9:00pm. $34.70. • NANOSPHERE + RAYMAN + LOMAX BANGSTER + MORE Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. • TOMORROW NEVER COMES - FEAT: SIDNEY CHARLES + OLIVER GIACOMOTTO Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $30.00. • UPTOWN Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 10:00pm. • VARSITY - FEAT: PAZ + MATT RAD + PYZ Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. • WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

friday march 25

pulp

• #MASHTAG - FEAT: NUGEN + MALPRACTICE + FLAGRANT Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. • AVALANCHE CREW - FEAT: DJ TURF + BEN RYAN Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 6:00pm. • BLACK CAT Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. $2.00.

• CAN’T SAY La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. • CIROQ FRIDAYS Cq, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • D-NOX Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $25.00. • DJ JOEY ELBOWS Gem Bar, Collingwood. 7:00pm. • DJ JULES SHELDON Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 9:00pm. • FABULOUS FRIDAYS FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Co., Southbank. 9:30pm. $20.00. • FAKE TITS - FEAT: BOOGS + SPACEY SPACE + SUNSHINE + SAMMY LA MARCA + BUTTERS + ADAM BARTAS + JUNGLE JIM Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $15.00. • GOOD MANNERS - FEAT: OSCAR KEY SUNG X HTMLFLOWERS + OOLONG T + URBAN PROBLEMS + MORE Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $10.00. • HIJACK + NO NAME NATH + KALUHA Penny Black, Brunswick. 10:00pm. • LUCK TRUCK FRIDAY DOWNSTAIRS - FEAT: 99 PRBLMZ + CONGO TARDIS #1 + LITTLE LEAGUE BOUNCE CLUB Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. • PANORAMA FRIDAYS UPSTAIRS - FEAT: PHATO A MANO + MR.GEORGE + MATT RADD + ASH-LEE Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. • PHIL GOOD FRIDAYS FEAT: PHIL K Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 6:00pm. • POPROCKS - FEAT: DR PHIL SMITH Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. • REVOLVER FRIDAYS & BOOGIE BEATS - FEAT: MIKE CALLANDER + SAFARI + CARLY JANDRO + IMEASY + MORE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 10:00pm. • ROBIN SCHULZ Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 10:00pm. $50.00. • THE DISCO - FEAT: GREG SARA + LUKE MCD + JEN TUTTY + MORE Onesixone, Prahran. 8:00pm. • TROPICAL BREEZE DJS The Luwow, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. • WAFIA + JACK GRACE + LEISURE SUITE DJS Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm.

saturday march 26 • ANDY PADULA Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 10:00pm. • AUDIOPORN SATURDAYS - FEAT: LE ZOK + JAMES WARE + GREG SARA + TOM EVANS + MORE Onesixone, Prahran. 9:00pm. $15.00. • CHAMPAGNE INTERNET Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 10:30pm. • CQ SATURDAYS Cq, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • CUSHION SATURDAYS Cushion, St Kilda. 9:00pm. • DJ CRISPI Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 2:00pm. • DJ EDDY + STEVE MIGUEL Torquay Hotel, Torquay.

7:00pm. $23.50. • DJ ERNIE DEE Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 9:00pm. • DJ XANDER Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 11:30pm. • ELECTRIC DREAMS FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Co., Southbank. 9:00pm. $20.00. • HOT STEP - FEAT: 99 PROBLEMS + TIGER FUNK + SILVER FOX + ASKEW Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. • IN THE CARRIAGE - FEAT: DJ JNETT + LYNTON CARR Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. • JANK FACQUES Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 12:05am. • LOST WEEKEND - FEAT: MISTY NIGHTS + BROOKE POWERS + MORE Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. • MIDNIGHT AFFAIR Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. • MORTEN GRANAU + UPGRADE + TERRAFRACTYL + MORE Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 2:00pm. $32.34. • OBLIVEUS + B-TWO + NAM + AKIN Penny Black, Brunswick. 10:00pm. • PLATFORM ONE SATURDAY NIGHTS Platform One, Melbourne. 9:00pm. • PONY SATURDAYS La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. • SEVEN SATURDAY DISCOTHEQUE Seven Nightclub, South Melbourne. 10:00pm. $20.00. • TEXTILE SATURDAYS FEAT: KODIAK KID + D’FRO + JENS BEAMIN Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. • THE EMERSON CLUB SATURDAYS - FEAT: FAMILIAR STRANGERS + KIN + ANDY MURPHY The Emerson, South Yarra. 9:00pm. • TOMMY’S CLUB - FEAT: SCAT Matthew Flinders Hotel, Chadstone. 8:00pm. $10.00. • TRAMP SATURDAYS Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • TRIBUTE TO THE WEEKND Pulp Club, Melbourne. 9:30pm.

• GOOD TIMES - FEAT: MATT RADOVICH Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 3:00pm. • JUNGLE - FEAT: HANDS DOWN + ZAC DEPETRO + PETE LASKIS + TRAVLOS + JOHN DOE Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00am. $15.00. • LIFE’S A PEACH - FEAT: JAMIE VALE + STAKSI + WARSAWYER Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. • PIKNIC ELECTRONIK FEAT: DUBFIRE + KEVIN SAUNDERSON + THE HACKER + KODE 9 + MORE Federation Square, Melbourne Cbd. 1:00pm. $15.00. • REVOLVER SUNDAYS & STOCKHOLM SYNDROME + BOOGS + SPACEY SPACE + PLANET JUMPER + STOCKHOLM SYNDROME + MORE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00am. • ROOFTOP SUNDAYS - FEAT: KHANH + KEN WALKER + JESUS The Emerson, South Yarra. 12:00pm. • SHOGUN 100 - FEAT: ROCKWELL + TECHNIMATIC + JOE FORD + SAFIRE Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 10:00pm. $34.70. • THE LATE SHOW - FEAT: RANSOM + MAT CANT + GET BU$Y + MORE Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. • THE SUNDAY SET - FEAT: DJ ANDYBLACK + SHAGGIS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 4:00pm. • VAMOS THE AFTER PARTY - FEAT: THECAMILOS + MATT RADOVICH + ELLIOT OFMARCO + MORE Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. • WAX ON WAX OFF Lucky Coq, Windsor. 7:00pm.

with james di fabrizio

Piknic Electronik Announce 2016 Finale Lineup And Easter Show

Piknic Electronik Melbourne are almost at the end of their season and are set to go out with a bang after announcing their Easter festivities and finale show lineup. For those that want a different kind of Easter with the family, Easter Electronik will present a lineup featuring Sonja Moonear, Perlon’s Sammy Dee and Dewalta. There will also be an Easter Egg hunt around the Petite Piknic area for all the kids — and anyone young at heart too, of course. Easter themed costumes are highly encouraged. The Petite Piknic area will also include a range of constantly changing activities including an art and creativity area, yoga for children, giant games, skateboard lessons, and a music workshop. Sending off the 2016 Piknic Electronik season will be international guest, Radio Slave. He will be joined by locals Monty McGaw, Isaac Fryer and DJ Jnett. Easter Electronik will take place on Sunday March 27 at Federation Square. Piknic Electronik #11 will go down on Satirday March 27.

monday march 28 •CALL IT IN - FEAT:

INSTANT PETERSON + DYLAN MICHAEL + ROBYN TREASURE Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • MONDAY STRUGGLE FEAT: TIGER FUNK Lucky Coq, Windsor. 6:00pm.

sunday march 27

tuesday march 29

• ANYWAY - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Bottom End, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $25.00. • BOOG$ Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 4:00pm. • BOP ART - FEAT: HAWAII + WHO + TIGERFUNK + MATT RADOVICH + LEWIS CANCUT Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. • CUSHION SUNDAYS - FEAT: COURTNEY MILLS + TOM EVANS + FRAZER ADNAM + MORE Cushion, St Kilda. 10:00pm. • DAYDREAMS Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 4:00pm. • DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE - FEAT: DJ NIGEL LAST Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

• CARRIAGE 252 - FEAT: SALMON BARRELL Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. • CUSHION TUESDAYS Cushion, St Kilda. 10:00pm. • OASIS TUESDAYS Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. • TRANSPIXIES + KT SPIT + TERMINAL INFANT + LUCAS H + DJ TRIXIE DARKO Howler, Brunswick. 8:00pm.

Wax’O Paradiso To Present Rainbow Fish

Wax’o Paradiso have ventured into the sub-aquatic for their last bash of the season. Turning their courtyard into a Rainbow Fish Paradise, the event will see Edd Fisher, Simon TK plus a special guest to headline the night, with support from Milly and Pjenneh. Cibdesa Electronics and Funktion 1 will be running the sounds, with Sprinkles and Milly Davison capping it off with immersive visuals. Wax’o Paradiso’s Rainbow Fish will kick off Saturday April 2 at the Shadow Electric Bandroom. Dive on in.

urban club guide wednesday march 23

• RILLZ + PARDON MY IGNORANCE + THE sunday march 27 SHOW 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $10.00. • MELLOWDÍASTHUMP SOUNDCLASH • BAJAUCHA Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. saturday march 26 (ROY AYRES VS STEVIE WONDER) 10:00pm. FEAT: GEEZY + CAZEAUX O.S.L.O + • MOMENTUM (FOREIGN BROTHERS) SKOMES Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. • KHOKOLAT KOATED SATURDAYS - FEAT: MOMENTUM: FOREIGN FEAT: DAMION DE SILVA + K DEE + BROTHERS + THE CORE-TET Evelyn DURMY + TIMOS Khokolat Bar, Melbourne Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00. friday march 25 Cbd. 9:30pm. • NASTY NARS + SOL’MANIC + CHARLIE tuesday march 29 • BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY - FEAT: DJ THREADS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. RCEE + KAHLUA + DJ SHOOK + DJ $10.00. • BACK & FORTH - FEAT: ESESE + LOGO ANGEL JAY Chaise Lounge, Melbourne • RHYTHM NATION SATURDAYS - FEAT: Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. Cbd. 8:00pm. DJ TIMOS + DJ KAHLUA + DJ ANGE M • FAKTORY FRIDAYS - FEAT: DAMION DE & ANDY PALA Chaise Lounge, Melbourne SILVA + K DEE + DURMY Khokolat Bar, Cbd. 9:00pm. $10.00. Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm.

electronic - urban - club life

D-Nox Locks In Melbourne Show

Techno legend D-Nox will be bringing his beats from Berlin to take over the room in a special three-hour long performance. It goes down at Brown Alley on Friday March 25, with the main room and the terrace being opened up for the night. First release tickets are sold out, but general admission tickets can still be purchased through the venue.

Z-Star Delta

A V ery F urry B east

B y J osep h E arp

Ask most ordinary musicians how they feel about their profession and they’ll give a deliberately understated answer, painting their passion as a kind of glorified day job. But neither Zee Gachette nor Sebastien Heintz, the two halves of blues rock outfit Z-Star Delta, are ordinary musicians.

HUGO RACE STORIES OF TRAVEL B Y B E L R YA N

The enigmatic Hugo Race is a man of many titles. Scraping the surface of his illustrious career has been his involvement with huge acts such as Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Wreckery, Hugo Race & True Spirit, Hugo Race Fatalists, and of course Dirtmusic. Race has recently published a travel memoir entitled Road Series, which takes the reader on a profound and often poetic journey, providing a glimpse into his time spent travelling the globe. “In the past I’d written by commission for screenplays,” says Race of his previous work writing for films such as Ghosts… of the Civil Dead. “So they were disconnected from me on a personal level.” Having written music for an eclectic mixture of genres, Race says writing the book was again an altogether contrasting experience. “Obviously songs are very different; they can be really personal but there’s always a hazy window between the writer and the song itself.” When it came to Road Series, however, “Those filters didn’t exist anymore.” Road Series begins in a grimy punk sharehouse during 1981. The landscape is dilapidated and raw, serving as a precursor for the passage to come. “There was the great strength of naivety,” says Race. “I’m not sure if that’s so easy to capture in 2016. The key difference is the Internet and since most things are available third-hand, I think that changed the way we experience things.” Race contrasts his current day reflections to his experience of adolescence in St Kilda. “In the beginning of the ‘80s I was very naive and so were a lot of my cohorts, simply because we didn’t have access to a lot of things,” he says. “We had more freedom, in a paradoxical kind of way.” From St Kilda, Race’s memoir accelerates to Europe and America, before weaving seamlessly amid settings that include Berlin, the Czech Republic, Mali, Italy, Brazil and beyond. Of all these destinations, Race has a special fondness for the time spent in Berlin during 1989. “There’s something really special about being 25-years-old, I remember that time of life,” says Race. “The episode that happens in Berlin was when I was 25 and I remember that incredible sensation of experiencing and feeling things for the first time. That first time is a really important part of what I’m trying to say, because it turns you inside out and blows your head off in the way that perhaps never really happens again.” However, nostalgic is not a word that one would use when describing Race. “Honestly, I’ve got both eyes staring into the future,” he explains. “As strange as it may seem after writing a memoir, I don’t think of the past at all. It was interesting virgin territory as I hadn’t thought through a lot of things. In some ways it liberated me. I hate the word catharsis, but it did liberate some dark corners of my mind. I shone some light into those corners.” Rather than reminiscing with rose-tinted

glasses, in Road Series Race delves into some incredibly grim subject matter. “The rough edges of those memories softened once I began to think about them and put them in context,” says Race. “We never stay the same. We’re constantly evolving through life. So you don’t necessarily feel the raw wounds all over again.” Race mentions that it was still painful to write his way through some of the chapters from his travels. “There were certain things I really didn’t want to write, but the book demanded I include certain episodes,” he says. “Without them, the rest of it wouldn’t make any sense. Once I got over the initial hurdle of talking about things that I found a little disturbing, I felt a kind of exhilaration in the way of perhaps laying old ghosts to rest.” Race has had an unbelievably successful career, miles ahead of what many people will ever achieve. However, he makes it clear that no creative process should be based on the pursuit of success alone. “Success itself is not that significant,” says Race. “Any small success or the stratospheric success that some of my friends have enjoyed never really brought anyone that much satisfaction. Even when people earned a lot of money in the process, the money seemed to have karma of its own. “I think the way our society is set up is definitely success-orientated, which has been very much overstated due to economic liberalism over the past 25 years,” Race says. “Everyone that’s grown up in that period has been surrounded by propaganda regarding success as the objective of a career path. I would say it’s not actually about success. It’s about expressing yourself and in the process, finding out who you really are. If you can survive while you’re doing that, then you’re going to make some pretty profound realisations which will really give you something to work with. “When you have ideas that seem improbable or undoable or not the kind of thing you think people are going to want to read or hear or see, it’s probably those ideas that are the best ones − anything that shakes up the status quo.”

HUGO RACE will appear at the Wheeler Centre on Thursday March 31 to discuss Road Series. Road Series is available now courtesy of Transit Lounge.

“I just think [music is] colour,” Gachette says, her voice low and thoughtful. “First [my life] was black and white, and then slowly colour faded in. And that colour was music. I think it started when [I was] around four-years-old, the appreciation of music. Writing songs was the thing that came first, and I started doing that from about seven.” Heintz’s origin story is different, but the passion in his voice when he talks about his entry into the world of professional music mirrors that of Gachette’s. “For me, I don’t remember exactly one moment when I really felt like [music] was going to be my job. I remember growing up and it was in my body,” he says. “In my soul.” “Yeah, for a while I didn’t really see myself as a singer,” Gachette adds. “I thought I was going to be a songwriter, [and] write songs for other people. Then I went to see my uncle and played him some songs. He used to be in a band called Loose Ends. He was the one who said, ‘Maybe you should think about singing.’ And I just thought, ‘Okay, well I’ll give it a go’.” It would be a mistake to suggest Gachette has merely ‘given it a go’. As the frontperson for rock band Z-Star she has been transcending the limits of the stage for almost two decades now, releasing album after album and traversing genres with a nimbleness rare in contemporary music. Not that she’s just stopped there, either. She also plays drums and sings in Z-Star Delta, a side project to Z-Star born out of Gachette and Heintz’s very first proper tour of Aussie shores. “The pair of us came over [to Australia] and picked up some session musicians for some shows,” she explains.

“But we did a lot of shows, just the two of us as a duo, and we realised there are some Z-Star songs that work stripped back, and some that don’t. So we started writing new songs, and that kind of became its own beast,” she laughs. “Its own very furry beast.” The two-piece setup of Z-Star Delta seems to have energised Gachette and Heintz’s working relationship. “We’ve been experimenting more,” Gachette says. “We’ve been experimenting with keys,

RocKwiz

F ri d ay on M y M in d

by Davi d J ames Y oung

There’s a sombre mood within the RocKwiz camp today. At the time of interview, the news has just broken concerning the death of Daddy Cool guitarist Ross “Hanna” Hannaford, succumbing to cancer at the age of 65. As a previous guest he was loved by the show’s entire extended family. And as one of the show’s figureheads testifies, he certainly made great use of his time on Earth, propeller hat and all. “The man was iconic,” affirms Brian Nankervis, the show’s adjudicator, cocreator, producer and co-host. “He meant so much to everyone on the RocKwiz crew – especially our bass player, Mark Ferrie, who had to break the news to all of us. We were all involved in putting on the benefit shows for him last year, and I got to work with him plenty of times over the years. I can remember one of the first shows that I ever booked – some pals and I managed to get Daddy Cool to come and play a church W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U

dance in North Balwyn back in 1974. He was a real hero of mine and an incredible part of the Australian music scene right up to the end.” Nankervis – along with host Julia Zemiro, roadie and score sign-holder Dugald McAndrew and the freshly-expanded RocKwiz Orchestra – have just performed at the Domain in Sydney as a part of the Spectrum Now festivities. They are also in the middle of filming the show’s 14th season, which will run to a theme

more modern sounds.” “Sound effects and guitar too,” Heintz adds. “There’s more space for the two of us to really say something with our instruments. It feels different. It’s more intense, definitely more intense.” Gachette agrees. “There’s a lot more space, there’s a lot more acoustic stuff,” she says. “A lot more space for the guitar and vocals. I do think sometimes it’s lighter than the full throttle rock band, but sometimes it’s even more intense because it’s just two of us. We just do more with the two of us. Like [we think], ‘How can we do this? How can we get out of our comfort zone?’” “Even if the show is challenging, I like to think something has come out of it,” she goes on. “Whether you’re playing in front of two thousand people or ten people, something has to come out of it. When we connect with the audience and we’ve improvised on the spot and bared our souls and sweat everything out, that’s when it’s a great show.” Z-STAR DELTA are playing The Wesley Anne on Friday March 25, The Standard Hotel on Sunday March 27, Cherry Bar on Thursday March 31, and The Grace Darling on Friday April 1. 16 Tons EP is out now through Muthastar Records.

of “saluting the legends” with individual tribute shows. Nankervis is here, however, to talk shop on the show’s next big live shindig, Really Really Good Friday. “For the last few years, we’ve spent the Easter long weekend up at Bluesfest and doing live shows for them there,” explains Nankervis. “This is the first year in quite some time that we haven’t had it on the cards, so we all got to thinking about what we’d like to do instead. For awhile, we toyed with the idea of having a little more variety within a RocKwiz live show. Julia and I both have a background in comedy, which got us thinking about incorporating that a little more into the show. “I grew up with a very conservative religious background,” he says. “For me, Good Friday was always a sad day. My parents insisted we go to church, and I wasn’t allowed to have friends over. We had this really weird dinner of cod and white sauce. We got to talking to the others in the crew, and one recalled the day simply being a great day to get off school – except nothing was open. We hatched the idea of exploring the idea of Good Friday, and detailing the oddness that comes with a day like it.” Nankervis is particularly excited about the ensemble of entertainers that will be joining the RocKwiz family on stage at the Arts Centre. Not only will it feature long-time friends of the show – including Deborah Conway, Ashley Naylor and Vika and Linda Bull – it will also feature some firsttime guests. “I’ve always been a huge fan of Rich Hall – he’s incredible,” says Nankervis, referring to the gravel-voiced American comic believed to be the inspiration behind The Simpsons’ Moe Syzlak. “It’s very important to all of us to keep the show fresh, especially after it’s been going for so long,” he says. “Every time we do one of these big live shows, it encourages us to look at the show in different ways. It inspires different ideas in us. This is something else again – it’s something new entirely for us. We just wanted to have a big party on Good Friday. Everything else is gonna be shut on Friday – not us. We’re opening right up for everyone.”

ROCKWIZ’s Really Really Good Friday is taking place at the Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday March 25, starting at 8pm. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 91

FRAZEY FORD OCEANS APART

BY ADAM NORRIS

ST. PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES A L A B A M A

A N D

B E Y O N D

BY ADAM NORRIS

St Paul and the Broken Bones are one of those infuriating acts that splash down in the pool of your musical taste and sweep all other immediate interests aside. From the very first track of their debut, Half the City, I was engrossed by the Alabama six-piece. Those horns, man. That voice. It takes you direct to Birmingham, to wandering the streets chasing the ghost of Otis Redding, following a soulful dream set in the half-light of the Deep South… Or so your imagination runs. Speaking with Paul Janeway himself, the reality of their connection to Alabama is no less colourful, but much more grounded in reality. “I don’t think about that stuff too much,” Janeway considers in a fine Alabama drawl. “Yes and no, you know? We’re kind of our own people in a way, but there’s certainly an attraction to the idea of being connected with the history here. I tell people who’ve never been to Muscle Shoals, Alabama that there are people walking on the street who played on Aretha Franklin records, on Wilson Pickett records, all these amazing people, and they’re just going about their day. You’re standing in the shadow of those people, so that is something that you look at and think ‘Wow, this is pretty amazing.’ And it does inspire you at times. But at the same time, we are our own people. Over here, being from Alabama kind of has a stereotype to it and so it’s a little different. When we go overseas, everyone has this thing about Alabama where it’s this mystical place where all these musicians live, and somehow it is, and it’s not. It’s weird. The lineage is so far ahead of us, we’re really not worthy of that kind of title yet.” Throughout our conversation, the overarching impression you have of Janeway is of a funny, humble guy who seems bemused by the band’s rollicking success … but also a little wary of it. Music has been in his bones from an early age; growing up in a devoutly religious house, singing at church was an early passion. Yet at the centre of this – the fans, the touring, the accolades – he and the Broken Bones remain earnest working musicians, still learning from their inspirations, still trying to find a sound that fits. “What I love about people like Tom Waits and Nick Cave is they’re still making very relevant music. Lyrically it’s still very interesting, and they’re both just such incredible performers. They both have this presence, you see them, and your focus is on them. I think honestly, we’re still a very young band, and so for me, having a situation where we’re just finishing up our second record, I can already feel itches in other arenas, these itches that aren’t being scratched yet. I think dipping your toe in many ponds is a good way to express yourself. Because this is my out. I don’t have a ton of outlets, I don’t party much. But I do eat, live and breathe music. For me, our first album kind of represents this thing that happened very quickly, and is definitely a snapshot of the band at that time. I think, BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 92

as any artist wants to do, you have to expand the sound. That’s part of the whole shebang. This next record is very much a progression in sound. You don’t want to get trapped in that whole quote, unquote retro soul thing, you know? It is a trap, but there’s also nothing wrong with that. I mean, there are a lot of worse things you could do.” Their debut album, Half the City, is all the more remarkable not only for the collective musicianship, but the way that Janeway wears his heart so clearly on his sleeve. Done so without the sentiment ever becoming repetitive or cloy. He has a voice whose nuance and expression is uniquely North American, yet the force behind it is universal. It’s a pretty fine feat for a man whose outlet is still expanding, and whose interests are still finding ways of seeping into song. “For me, being brought up in Alabama and not being super educated, I’ve had to play a little catch-up in my life. I feel like I’m playing catch-up on a lot of things. On music, on art. But something that speaks to me on a really high level is that I’m a huge Mark Rothko fan. That speaks to me in a different way. I read a lot of non-fiction, which I guess is odd because it doesn’t really expand the imagination. But a lot of art, bizarrely enough, because there is so much distance between where I grew up, and that world. I’m really attracted to it now, and I’m still exploring that. In a lot of ways I’m still trying to find my identity. I grew up in a very sheltered environment in a very religious small town, so I’m still slowly expanding my horizons, but still keeping that Southerness, I guess you’d call it. But I love Kendrick Lamar, I’m a huge D’Angelo fan, I love Prince, David Bowie. For me, Half the City, musically, represented kind of the past in our Alabama lineage, and now the next record fells like the present, like moving forward. The first record is saying ‘hey, we’re here.’ The second album lets you define who you are.”

St. Paul and the Broken Bones are playing at the Corner Hotel on Thursday March 24. Half the City is out now through Single Lock Records.

Sitting down to listen to Frazey Ford’s second album, 2014’s Indian Ocean, is like experiencing an early Christmas; her voice is spine-tingling, and the accompanying Americana and folk tunes are an engrossing force reminiscent of discovering early morning presents under the tree. The soulful vocalist, this month, will return to Australia for Byron Bay Bluesfest, having visited twice before, both as a solo act and as a founding member of The Be Good Tanyas. It’s the thriving musical career that Ford never expected to have. “I think anyone who decides that they want to honour music as something that they’re going to pursue, it’s highly unrealistic,” she laughs. “It’s one of the hardest paths, really. I used to do music for a while, and then I’d go back to school and do sciences, look at completely different careers, and then decide to take another year to write. I didn’t really know that you could make a living doing [music], so it was never really thought of as a plan. Every time, I was doing it more out of wanting to, out of enjoyment. I think that’s good though, because I didn’t have any expectations. So I’d go back and forth, thinking about some professional career that was going to sustain me. So when the music did take off, it was a real surprise.” After hearing some of Ford’s recordings – her cover of Bob Dylan’s One More Cup Of Coffee a recommended place to start – any resemblance of an alternative career path, or a divergent timeline absent of critical musical acclaim, is a distant memory. Between her former band and solo output, Ford has six albums now to get lost within. While Ford talks, the conversation becomes interrupted as her children return from school. The impact of her family seems to sit at the forefront of her art; the encouragement of her own mother and children regularly dots her observations.

“I think it’s funny for me, because no matter what I do, I’m going to have a certain amount of my mum in my voice. Her side of the family are really into country. I had a soul band, but when I started writing songs, they all came out sounding country no matter what I said. I think it’s malleable though. People are down on people for imitating, but that’s how we absorb a style and then make it new. I think in my years as a singer, there have been so many singers

JAMES THE BEGINNING OF THE END B Y D AV I D J A M E S Y O U N G

History has an interesting place for a band like James. In their native UK, they’re as commonplace as their name; they have sold millions of albums and scored several high-charting hits. For the rest of the world, however, they’re a little more obscure, accumulating minor degrees of success here in Australia and in the United States. Regardless, the band have soldiered on at times when other bands would have most certainly stumbled and fallen off the face of the earth – even if, indeed, there was a time when they were entertaining the idea of never again playing together.

“I think it was necessary that we took our time away from another,” says Saul Davies, who joined the band back in 1989 and contributes guitar, violin and backing vocals. “By the time James ended in 2001, we were always at one another’s throats. It was very timely when it all came to a close. We had no inclination to get back together until maybe six years later – and initially, that was purely just to make music together. That’s the thing, I think, that properly kept B E AT.C O M . A U

us going once we got back together. We weren’t interested in nostalgia. We weren’t even interested in playing live or releasing anything at that point. It was more about making something new, and rekindling the relationships between each of us in the band. Time had done its work, healing the tension, and we found ourselves in a good situation. It was a bit like starting again, in a lot of ways.” We’re now eight years into James 2.0,

I’ve listened to and studied, and they will all influence your sound to a degree. I’ve definitely heard people who can sound like anybody without really having their own thing. I think you need to be able to absorb, and then mix it inside you and put it out as something new.” Even though her introduction to music was somewhat circuitous, Ford’s passion for song has deep roots. She is proud of the lineage of artists who have influenced her own development, and adamant there are likely many more inspirations yet to come. “I don’t know of any music that isn’t a link in the chain. We imitate each other so much. My mum comes from a strong lineage of music. I used to sing with her from a very early age, and she’s had a huge influence on my sound. But I also grew up listening to soul music, so I think whatever you’re paying attention to and thinking about, that stuff comes through you later on. You’re carrying forward that sound in a certain way. I think that happens back and forth, even across countries. Like how the British really responded to soul music, and reflected back their version of rock’n’roll. It’s part of a chain all across the world.”

FRAZEY FORD is playing at Bluesfest 2016 from Thursday March 24 – Monday March 28 and at the Northcote Social Club on Wednesday March 30. Indian Ocean is out now through Nettwerk.

which retained all of the members from its final lineup save for guitarist Michael Kulas. They’ve released four albums since their return – 2008’s Hey Ma, 2010’s simultaneously-released The Night Before and The Morning After, and last year’s Le Petite Mort. They’ve followed that up less than a year later with their 14th LP, Girl at the End of the World, which is the kind of productivity that most veteran acts could barely comprehend in their prime, let alone on their second go-around. “It’s funny – we’re in the 35th year of James being a band, and this is our 14th album,” says Davies. “With that being said, it all genuinely feels really fresh again. It’s certainly a time when a lot of bands in our position would just be going through the motions, but that’s not what this feels like at all. If you listen to any of the records that we’ve put out since we got back together, I think you’ll agree that we’re not a band that’s exactly devoid of ideas. We’re very much driven creatively to continue working together, which is certainly a buck of the trend. Everything we’re doing now is so gratifying – we get to play some amazing shows, we get to play music that we’re really proud of and we get to connect with a fanbase that has seen us through everything. That’s more than enough for us.” Davies goes on to explain the finer points of their current setlist, which also deviates away from Girl at the End of the World, and is balanced by both the obscure and the not-so-obscure. “There will be a few tracks that we’ll play that people seem to still really love – there’s a song called She’s a Star which we’re going to do in a completely new way,” he says. “And we’ll be doing our song Sometimes as well. Our shows are very much designed for people who have been long-time fans – occasionally, we’ll throw in a super weird B-side or something like that, and see those few faces in the crowd light up because they never thought they’d hear us play it. We’re looking at songs to make moments like that, and not just the obvious big sing-along moments.” JAMES’ new album Girl at the End of the World is out now through Liberator Music / BMG Recordings.

PRIMAL SCREAM S T I L L

S C R E A M I N G

B Y PA U L M C B R I D E

Much like a rectangular container filled with assorted sweet confectionery, the best thing about a new Primal Scream album is that you never know what you’re going to get. Since their mid-’80s formation the Scottish band have dipped their collective toes in jangle pop, acid house, dub, Stonesinfluenced rock, Krautrock and electronica, all while raising enough hell to kill off many a band of weaker constitution. As the Scream’s 11th album, Chaosmosis, is released this month, guitarist Andrew Innes explains that while the band may have left their hell-raising days behind, they are still as experimental and angry as ever.

“We try to keep moving on and trying new things,” he says. “I always buy new bits of equipment, and that’s how the band evolves. We don’t just sit down and write on the guitar we’ve written songs on for ages. Some of the most mental sounds on [the new album] are things [Northern Irish DJ/composer] David Holmes emailed me about. He said I should get this fuzzbox because it’s insane and told me to just buy it and don’t even think about it. What people think are distorted synths are a guitar through this crazy fuzzbox. One of the pluggers of the record said ‘What’s that terrible noise at about two-minutes-thirty? I think it’s a god-damned synthesiser; can we edit it out?’ I emailed back telling him it was one of my finest guitar solos in the last ten years. The sound evolved to be quite electronic, and because we’re using electronic synths, the drums are also quite electronic.” After a dalliance with Byrds-esque pop the band broke big with 1991’s Screamadelica, a masterpiece of acid house and neo-psychedelia. A long period of success and excess followed, and Innes admits writing songs is much easier these days with the benefit of a clear head. “I think you get better at your craft,” he says. “Now, the bit that’s inspiration is hard, but the bit that’s perspiration isn’t as hard. Being more together – I mean, obviously we aren’t as crazy as we were in 1993 – means you know right away what’s good or not. We don’t have that thing where you get up in the morning after working all night and don’t know whether it’s good or not; you know right away. Things are a bit less hectic than they used to be, shall we say.” A constant in Primal Scream albums over time has been the sense that the band has its finger on the political pulse. Chaosmosis is no different, says Innes. “Songs like Golden Rope and When the Blackout Meets the Fallout [are political],” he says. “Autumn in Paradise is about devastated towns and communities in Britain. Maybe there’s not as much in-your-face shouting about it as there has been in the past, but it’s more subtle. [The British Conservative government] made that promise about making the north a powerhouse and they don’t give a fuck; they really don’t care. As soon as the Tories got a majority they just got on with doing what they want to do, which is making the world safer for their mates, and making the world better for big business. The weird thing is, in the past the Tories would have at least thrown a bone to the middle classes, but they don’t even give a fuck about them any more. That’s how it’s changed; the doctors are on strike for God’s sake, and [the government] doesn’t care. They care about their pals; the big corporations and that’s it. And the sad thing about it is people in the south of England vote for it. People in the old industrial heartlands in the north don’t vote for it, the Scottish definitely don’t vote for it, the Welsh don’t vote for it, and the Irish don’t vote for it. My friend has a good theory that the English had their revolution too early. It was maybe 100 years too early, and then they wanted their king back. They like being subjects, but when you grow up in Scotland you’re a bit more anti-authority.” Picking top drawer collaborators is another skill the band has mastered. This time around, Haim feature on opener Trippin’ On Your Love, Rachel Zeffira pops up on Private Wars, and Sky Ferreira duets on lead single Where the Light Gets In. “We met Haim on Jools Holland’s show,” Innes explains. “They are lovely girls and we just clicked and liked them. They’ve got this thing that siblings have, because they’ve been singing together all their lives; they’re just good and know what they’re doing. They brought this sunshine to the record, and it was a great honour for us. They were on tour and only had something like four hours off, and they came round to the studio when they could have been having a rest. Then we had this song that we thought would be a good duet, and Sky’s name came up. Luckily we knew someone who knew her, but we thought she might not know who we were because we’re not that big in America, but she was more than happy. She can really sing and as I was recording I got to listen to just how good she is, just like I did with Robert Plant on the last album.” The band have no immediate plans for an Australian visit, but that could all change with one phone call, Innes says. “All we need is one of those Australian promoters. I’ve been telling people that next January is free, because you can’t beat leaving [the UK] and heading south, preferably for three weeks [laughs]. If there are any promoters out there, we’re just a call away and we’re ready to work.” PRIMAL SCREAM’S Chaosmosis is out now through Warner.

W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 93

MUTEMATH

FROM HARD TIMES TO HIGH FIVES

B Y N ATA L I E R O G E R S

Fifteen years ago Mutemath vocalist Paul Meany and drummer Darren King were sending each other rough cut demos up and down the Mississippi River. By 2002, King had joined Meany in New Orleans and together they got to work on a project simply called ‘Math’. However, ten years on and three albums in, the band from The Big Easy fell on hard times.

PLAGUE VENDOR IF YOU WANT BLOOD B Y D AV I D J A M E S Y O U N G

Free to Eat, the debut studio album from Californian noise-makers Plague Vendor, clocks in at approximately 20 minutes, brimming with punk energy and high-octane guitar work; the sound of a band dripping with exuberance and vitriol. It’s a proven sound, one that the band execute with ease. Which makes the decision to move in a new sonic direction in follow-up LP Bloodsweat – a slower, darker and more imposing set of songs – quite a surprise, albeit a welcomed one. Without any lineup changes, nor any huge philosophical shifts within the Plague Vendor camp, Bloodsweat is merely a by-product of the band’s evolution, explains lead vocalist Brendan Blaine. “The songs that you hear on this record came to us really naturally. It made as much sense to us as the songs that we had written for Free to Eat, even though both records ended up sounding so different to one another. We didn’t talk too much about what we wanted to do. I think we’re a bit more proactive – we just went out and did it. We just wrote as it came to us, really.” Production and recording for Bloodsweat took place in April last year. The band were joined in the studio by producer Stuart Sikes, who also assisted in engineering the record. When it came to putting the pieces together, Blaine – who is also the band’s primary lyricist – let the his personal experiences guide him through every last word. “I’m the kind of person that is writing all the time,” he says. “Something will happen in my life, positive or negative, and I’ll be compelled to write about it. I go through some experiences, I work through them by writing about them. It could even just be something like a book that I’m reading, or maybe a movie that I’ve been watching recently... nothing explicitly about them, but it all manages to work its way into whatever I’m writing. It just comes to be when I’m focused on the lyrical side of new music I’m working on.” The evolution of sound that has encapsulated Plague Vendor can be compared to the stylistic departures and evolutions taken by bands such as Title Fight and Ceremony. It has lead them down considerably different paths in comparison to where they started, certainly; and yet, their sound never betrays its origins. Plague Vendor are the kind of band that are consciously aware of their beginnings – some parts of Bloodsweat lingering since the band originally formed, only now taking their proper shape. “It can take awhile for a song to really come into its own for us,” says Blaine. “Some of the songs on this record have been hanging around our jam sessions since maybe 2009 or 2010. On the other hand, there are songs that were more or less born while we were in the studio working on the record. The one thing that holds them all together, though, is the fact they all really developed through playing them live. We learned a lot about what kind of BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 94

songs we wanted to make, and we found that every time we’d give one of them a try when we were playing, they’d get a lot tighter. Building up these songs when we were touring gave us a lot of confidence when it came to making Bloodsweat.” Momentum is building within the band’s camp. This past week saw them performing at South by Southwest, turning in an impressive run of five shows in three days. With a relentless touring schedule, Blaine attests to the band’s uncompromising commitment to playing live – even when, from time to time, it’s not exactly reciprocated. “We’ve been touring through North America, and everywhere is just so different in terms of the types of crowds that you get,” he explains. “Some cities just want to get right up in your face, and they seem to know exactly what they’re in for. In other parts of the country, though, there will be crowds that just stare at you from five feet away. They don’t move or dance or sing. They’re just watching your every move. It’s strange. You really don’t know how to respond in a situation like that.” He maintains, however, that Plague Vendor are not about to change either their style or their approach. “We’re not interested in playing by a genre’s rules, or just sticking to the one idea or anything like that,” he says. “These are our songs. Each brings a different mood and a different approach, and we pride ourselves on that. This is who we are.” As far as the band’s next moves are concerned, Blaine notes that they’re soon to venture out on the road once again, this time as an opening act for Swedish punk shape-shifters Refused and garage rock upand-comers The Coathangers. “Refused are a band that are incredibly important to all of us – we can remember listening to them when we were teenagers,” he says. “We’re also big fans of The Coathangers. They have such a great sound and are really something as a live band.” PLAGUE VENDOR’S Bloodsweat is out now through Epitaph Records.

“We were dropped from our record label [Warner Bros], so we had to start our own label, Wojtek Records,” King explains. “We lost our long-time guitarist, Greg Hill, around that time too. Paul, Roy [MitchellCardenas] and I really had to go back to basics and work on repairing the band from the ground up, and try to remember why we started the band in the first place.” In the summer of 2011 Mutemath announced that guitarist Todd Gummerman would be joining the four-piece, and soon after both King and Meany welcomed their own new additions into the world. “We became dads,” King smiles. “Then suddenly, a year and a half or two ago, the clouds parted and we started to see the fruits of our labour. You could say it came to fruition – I’m sorry, that was a terrible dad joke.” It’s not surprising that King is in such high spirits, currently on a massive world tour for their fourth (and arguably most accomplished) studio album, Vitals. The night we spoke, King and his bandmates were enjoying a rare night off. “The tour so far has been amazing – we’re having a great time. We’re in Los Angeles on a night out, so right now I’m about to make that allimportant decision of ‘What do I eat? Do I go all out and treat myself or am I just going to get something cheap, be fiscally smart and save up – or just splash the cash?’ I can’t decide, but I’m leaning towards Ramen – there are some good Ramen places here.” Beyond a love for Ramen, there’s no

denying that Mutemath work hard. Even with all the turmoil of the past few years they’ve managed to visit Australia three times since they first met audiences Down Under in 2012 – and when I mention this fact to King, I’m not in the least surprised by his response. “Yes, that’s right. And I’m looking forward to eating as much as I possibly can while I’m in Australia. But the thing I’m even more excited about, and I certainly didn’t know until I got there, is how incredible you guys are at coffee. It’s better than here, and everywhere else,” he

POLISH CLUB LA CALLING

BY ADAM NORRIS

David Novak sounds surprised to hear an Australian accent. He and bandmate John-Henry are in LA, having just finished late night work on what will be Polish Club’s debut album. After being surrounded by all things Americana he seems oddly relieved to hear a voice from home. Not that the Sydney soul-rockers have had much time to feel homesick. Between the album and priming for CherryRock016’s 10th Anniversary show, there isn’t much time for hell raising.

“We’ve been here for about a week now. Just enough time to settle in and start getting over the jet lag, but it still feels pretty weird, I’m not gonna lie. LA is big, and there are many kinds of LA. Parts that are much dodgier than what you’ll see in Sydney and Melbourne. So it’s crazy, but it’s not like we’ve been eating caviar and drinking courvoisier. Coming here, I don’t have too much experience in LA. It was more the people who are involved. We’re working with Ron who did all of Green Day’s B E AT.C O M . A U

albums, and having spoken to him last year, that was kind of the deal-maker. If you’re lucky you meet the right people to take the band forward, and it just so happened that led to LA. It wasn’t about coming here to make that life, it was all fortune.” The Ron in question is Ron Cavallo, who they met at last year’s BIGSOUND. Polish Club had already begun carving a ubiquitous name for themselves with their self-titled EP (for those who haven’t checked out Able, do yourself a favour)

says. “I was not expecting Australia to be the coffee-snobbiest country that I’ve ever been to – I love that.” Mutemath are known for their dynamic and exciting live shows. Their discotinged synths and thumping basslines are complemented by an impressive light show, and King says that he has something special planned for punters when they arrive here next month for Groovin the Moo and a string of solo shows. “The new thing we have is that I do a high five electronic glove solo. It just occurred to me one day when we were in rehearsal. I put these things on (they’re called drum triggers) – these little Presario microphonic triggers inside of a gardening glove, and then I plug them into my sampler. Whenever someone puts the glove on and I give them a high five, it makes a snare drum sound. We also have other gloves that make the kickdrum and a couple of other sounds. So there’s an addition in the set now – my new ‘High Five’ solo.” MUTEMATH are playing The Corner Hotel on Thursday April 28 and Groovin the Moo at the Prince of Wales Showground, Bendigo, on Saturday April 30. Vitals is out now through Wojtek.

– it was a no-brainer that the renowned producer took an immediate interest in the band. They will be returning to Australia soon for a quick run of gigs, including CherryRock016 before heading straight back to LA and their windowless bunker. “The album will be out sometime this year, but we don’t want to rush it. We started with sixty songs to choose from, and whittled it down to eight to work on now. You can’t help but write every time you get into a room. What would happen is, we’d work and work on a song for a few hours, and then the last hour we’d mess around and more often than not, we’d have five new songs. So we just kept adding them to the list, and yeah, it’s been a pain to whittle them all down, but you know, too much is better than too little,” he laughs. These days, Melbourne has become something of a musical Mecca for the duo. There is a sense of adventure and camaraderie in the industry here that they respond to quite strongly, differing greatly from the musical relationship they currently have with their hometown. “I think Sydney is a bit different to the other Australian cities, in that the music scene doesn’t have as much of a community to it. I don’t know if I’d say it’s harder to be in a band in Sydney, but it’s different. Melbourne, the bands all know each other, they play all sorts of venues at all hours and ply their trade. In Sydney, it’s getting more difficult to do that as a starting band, and all of the venues we played coming out of high school, they don’t exist any more. And that’s due to the lock-out laws. I understand that something needs to be done to curb that culture of violence, but it’s not going to be a quick fix. It used to be that you needed a bit of luck just to be in a band, period. But now, you need a whole lot of luck. It’s tragic, because I’m sure there are plenty of bands who are just as good or better than we are, but they just don’t get the chance in Sydney any more.” POLISH CLUB are playing CherryRock016 in AC/DC Lane on Sunday May 1. Polish Club EP is out now.

CORE

PUNK, SKA, HARDCORE NEWS, REVIEWS & GOSSIP with EMILY KELLY ek1984@gmail.com

The Living End are officially back. Following on from the release of new single Keep on Running, the band have revealed details of their new album and accompanying national tour. New album Shift will be the follow up to 2011’s The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating and drops on Friday May 13. The band will tour throughout June with Bad// Dreems and The 131’s, hitting The Forum

CRUNCH

in Melbourne on Friday June 24. Tickets are on sale on Thursday morning. Pinch Hitter and Cleveland’s Meridian will join forces this May to tour Australia together. A chance meeting between Meridian’s Max Stern (Signals Midwest) and Pinch Hitter’s Dave Drayton in 2013 lead to a friendship and Australian tour with Wil Wagner in 2014. Now they pair up and smash out an east coast run, arriving in Melbourne to play The Old Bar on Saturday May 14 and then The Reverence on Sunday May 15. Tickets are available at the door.

complimenting a slot on Sydney’s exciting VividLIVE lineup. See them play at Corner Hotel in Melbourne on Friday June 3. Tickets are up for grabs now. Against all odds, Legion Music Festival has confirmed that it will go ahead as planned in 2017. Though the crowdfunding campaign never reached its target, founder John Sankey says that the festival is all systems go. Headlining artists are expected to be announced shortly with organisers promising “something truly special and unique for the fans.” Melbourne’s date remains on Thursday January 26, Australia Day next year.

San Francisco’s Deafheaven released New Bermuda last year to massive critical acclaim. Anti Records put the muchadored album out and now the band are headed to Australia for a run of club shows

Leftöver Crack will be at The Bendigo Hotel this weekend and they’ve ensured the night will be most memorable by adding Wet Pensioner, Phat Meegz and Jerkbeast to the lineup on Sunday night. Monday’s all

Uber fans frothing over At The Drive-In’s reformation are not stoked that founding member Jim Ward won’t be joining the band in 2016. The band simply announced the he will not be joining them on future tours and they “wish him well.” No further details were added. At The Drive-In are yet to announce their return to Australia but

been creating for the last quarter of a century. Their Australian fans have a rare opportunity to witness such devastation first hand. See them at Northcote Social Club on Saturday September 3. Tickets on sale now from directtouring.oztix.com.au

show, including Batpiss and Beacons at The Corner Hotel in Richmond on Saturday March 26 and Sweet Gold at the same venue on Friday April 1.

Brimstone Coven, Ketzer, Gehennah, Accuser, Artillery and Sourvein. To watch the video clip and to learn more about the artists, please visit metalblade.com/6bands

METAL, HEAVY ROCK. CLASSIC CEREMONY AT THE ROCK LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL BENDIGO GOOD SHIT California’s’ Ceremony have announced an Australian tour this March in support with PETER HODGSON of their new album The L-Shaped Man on crunchcolumn@gmail.com Matador Records. Ceremony’s fifth studio album uses singer Ross Farrar’s recent breakup as a platform to explore loneliness ACE OF SPADES ON GOOD and emotional weariness, but it is by no means a purely sad album. Rather than FRIDAY Ace of Spades, the Australian Motorhead look inward, Farrar uses his experience to tribute band, are playing at the Inkerman write about what it means to go through Hotel in St Kilda East on Good Friday from something heavy and come out the other 8pm. Entry is free and they’ll be playing side a different person. Catch them play at three sets of Motorhead classics from all eras The Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood this of the band. Also, be on the lookout for Ace Easter Thursday with the ever amazing of Spades on an upcoming episode of The locals Infinite Void and guests. Hard Rock Show on Channel 31.

CRYPTOPSY TOUR

Canada’s Cryptopsy will crush four cities around the nation with their unrelenting barrage of precision extreme metal this September. A band that embodies pure musical extremity, Cryptopsy need to be experienced in the flesh to truly appreciate the blasphemic, aural assault they have

THE BENNIES NAME LOCAL SUPPORTS

Ultimate party band The Bennies are about to release banging new album Wisdom Machine and set off on national Australian tour with US mates Off With Their Heads and Adelaide band Hightime. They’ve also announced the local supports for each

UNHOLY GOOD FRIDAY AT THE BENDIGO

Celebrate Good Friday with an extreme black death noise ceremony with Nocturnal Graves, Denouncement Pyre, Decrepit Soul (it’s their Black Sun Unbound album launch) and Mshing at The Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood. Entry is $15 and doors open at 8pm.

KILL EASTER BASH AT THE BENDIGO

The Bendigo Hotel is smashing it with the great gigs this week: on Saturday March 26 catch the Kill Easter Bash with Zombie Motor Wrecking Yard and Suiciety, with supports including Swidgen and Long Holiday. Doors at 8pm, entry is $10.

6 BANDS IN 60 SECONDS

In conjunction with RED Music, Metal Blade Records has launched a new edition of the 6 Bands in 60 Seconds campaign, where CEO Brian Slagel spotlights six artists from the label’s roster every three months. The goal of the promotion is to help fans discover new music from some of the most promising acts in the scene. The latest installment of the series features

W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U

ages lineup is just as impressive, featuring Weedy Gonzales, Wolfpack, Phat Meegz, Terror Mullius and Servo Burger. Tickets are still available for both shows. Millencolin are bringing Adelaide’s Grenadiers on tour with them when they hit the road next month. Grenadiers are pretty much the perfect support for the punk rock rollicking that will go down at the last remaining Melbourne show on Monday May 2. Tickets are available now.

NEW ABBATH VIDEO

Abbath are releasing the first video in support of their chart storming debut album Abbath, which was released worldwide on Friday January 22. The clip for the track Winterbane is now upon us and you can see it on YouTube. Bassist King says “After some months of hard work we are finally ready to present you the greatest metal video of all time, Winterbane.

PRIMAL FEAR TOURING AUSTRALIA FOR THE FIRST TIME

Primal Fear will leave nothing behind as they will perform tracks off their new album Rulebreaker along with all the classic and fan favourite tracks during their first ever Australian tour. Black Majesty will be supporting Primal Fear in Melbourne (Northcote Social Club on Saturday June 11) and they will be playing an extended set, including tracks from their recent album Cross of Thorns and a host of classic fan favourites. There will be a strictly limited VIP meet and greet pass available (15 per show), available online from metalobsession/shop.

GIGS

WEDNESDAY MARCH 23:

MODEST MOUSE at Magaret Court Arena, Melbourne STRUNG OUT, PEARS, MAX GOES TO HOLLYWOOD at The Loft WARBIRDS, SHADOWQUEEN, DEGREES OF SEPARATION at The Bendigo Hotel

THURSDAY MARCH 24:

CEREMONY, INFINITE VOID at The Bendigo Hotel EAGLES OF DEATH METAL at The Croxton Hotel

FRIDAY MARCH 25:

EAGLES OF DEATH METAL at The Croxton THE SELECTER at Corner Hotel WALKEN, MUDDY CHANTER, FOLEY, SUMMER BLOOD, CLAWS AND ORGANS at The Tote RORT, SHACKLES, OILY BOYS, INTERNAL ROT, SEWERCIDE at The Tote KISSING BOOTH, OLDER MEN, SAILORMOUTH, BIRTHDAY GIRL at The Reverence ELECTRIK DYNAMITE, SMOKE STACK RHINO, SWEET GOLD at The Old Bar

SATURDAY MARCH 26:

THE BENNIES, OFF WITH THEIR HEADS, HIGHTIME, BATPISS, BEACONS at The Corner Hotel I EXALT, JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED at Bang STOACKADES, DIPLOID, STAY SHARP, ROOT RAY at The Old Bar ZOMBIE MOTORS WRECKING YARD, SUICIETY, SWIGDEN, ANIMAL HANDS at The Bendigo Hotel BORN LION, PAST PRESENT, HAVE/HOLD at The Reverence Hotel WALKEN, MUDDY CHANTER at The Musicman Megastore, Bendigo

SUNDAY MARCH 27:

LEFTOVER CRACK, WET PENSIONER, PHAT MEEGZ, JERKBEAST at The Bendigo Hotel I EXALT, JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED at Wrangler Studio THE 131’S, BAD VISION, YOUNG OFFENDERS at The Old Bar

MONDAY MARCH 28:

BOB LOG III, THE MIGHTY BOYS, SHRIMPWITCH at The Old Bar

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 95

E AT.C O M

EV IEWS FOR

R E P O R T S

LIVE

F R O M

T H E

F R O N T

R O W

D’ANGELO

Photo by Tony Proudfoot

Max Watt’s

PALAIS THEATRE

Wednesday March 16

SATURDAY MARCH 19

D’Angelo’s performance at the Palais Theatre was a marvel to behold. The release of the critically acclaimed 2014 record Black Messiah had captured a brand new crowd of fresh-faced millenials, drawing them towards R&B and neosoul unlike any of his contemporaries. The back catalogue of D’Angelo’s work, rooted in the early ‘90s and expanding through to the start of the 2000s, drew a contrasting older crowd. He’d filled out the hall of the Palais for good reason – there was something for everyone to enjoy. A focus on his older songs ensured a greater emphasis on his past – the man who at one point had issues with being seen as a sex symbol – leaning closer to that old persona rather than the politicallyinspired man who pre-emptively released Black Messiah. D’Angelo’s performance had an energy to it that drew audience members from their seats within the first thirty seconds of his appearance onstage, all ensuing into a groove, dance and realm of movement. The upbeat performances

Steve Earle and The Dukes

MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE SATURDAY MARCH 19

The Mastersons open for Steve Earle at the Melbourne Recital Centre. The vocal harmonies of Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore meld together so sweetly that it is easy enough to lose yourself for a moment. Introducing the duo was the big man himself, Steve Earle. It’s a rarity to see these days, however it broke down the barrier immediately of audience and artist and showed that he is one of the most

GABRIELLA COHEN THE TOTE

THURSDAY MARCH 17

Gabriella Cohen provided the soundtrack to a sultry autumn evening at everyone’s favourite local The Tote. The occasion? The launch of her debut album Full Closure and No Details. Although the Brisbane native is still relatively new to Melbourne, BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 96

Sunn O)))

from his back catalogue inspired more crowd involvement than his later tracks, creating a set that would be perfect for Bluesfest’s carefree environment. The man fluctuated between playful, sexual and soulful – while carrying hints of the greats in his onstage swagger. There were moments where he’d be engrossed in his guitar playing, embodying the performative essence of Jimi Hendrix. Other times, he’d be dancing around the stage, clapping and effortlessly roping the crowd into joining him, much like James Brown in his prime, or tinkering in isolation on a piano with a small hint of Prince. D’Angelo took cues from these iconic performers, accentuating their talents into a powerful combination of the three. At one moment during his performance of Really Love, D’Angelo waltzed up to the front right of the stage and started singing directly to a woman in the audience below (R.I.P. her boyfriend). During The Charade, he gestured to the crowd to raise their fists in the air as a motion of solidarity to

the people involved in the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States. The set was broken up with a small intermission which led into a longwinded encore. With a soulful rendition of his Voodoo hit, Untitled (How Does It Feel), D’Angelo effortlessly departed the intensely lit spotlight and lone piano, transitioning into a full-bodied performance to dazzling lights, and the enthused instrumentation of his backing band, The Vanguard. The set ended with a furiously funky performance of Chicken Grease, the entire crowd transforming their last reserves of energy into a final euphoric dance fest as D’Angelo danced across stage, a boyish grin on his face, before finally leaving in the dark.

I arrived at Sunn O))) fully prepared for some loud drone metal. What eventuated was the loudest fucking thing I’ve ever experienced. With smoke billowing onto Swanston St from deep within Max Watt’s, the scene was set before I even walked down the stairs and into the venue’s guts. ‘Why are there so many signs telling me to wear earplugs?’ I asked myself. Surely, it’s just to reduce any potential complaints or something? I self-answered. ‘Nope – it was because if you chose not to wear earplugs, you’d never hear anything again.’ Your cochlea would commence a sacrificial ceremony whereby every hair cell and sensory receptor would be burnt to death. So I decided to wear ear earplugs. Since it dropped, I’ve given Sunn O)))’s Kannon so much of a workout that I discovered how to scratch an mp3. Kannon’s almost spiritual, ritualistic three movements make for a droning ripper of an album that gives new meaning to the term ‘slow grind’. I couldn’t wait to hear the nuances of their wall-of-drone live for the first time. I managed to get a peek at the band’s set up as I carefully navigated my way through the sold out house. The stage was stocked with about seven Ampeg 8x10 speaker cabinets. But I’m pretty sure that the guitars were pre-amped with some kind of bring-the-dead-back-to-life head unit. I’m also pretty sure that the venue owners must have consulted engineers to ensure that the building’s foundations would hold up during a Sunn O))) gig.

Swim Season

The Grace Darling Hotel Friday March 18

genuine artists around. Opening with Uniform off their 2014 release Good Luck Charm, The Mastersons showcased why they are one of the most in-demand country folk outfits around. Having half an hour to win us over, they achieved that little goal quite quickly. Whipping out lead guitar lines on his Martin acoustic guitar like it was a 65’ Fender Tele, the sound produced onstage by just two people was really quite incredible. After the intermission, the lights dimmed again and an excerpt from an old Robert Johnson song blasted through the air. Soon Steve Earle and the Dukes launched into Baby Baby Baby (Baby), the opening track of their latest album Terraplane. The band smashed through a rocking blues set featuring both old and new tracks. The big

surprise of the set was Copperhead Road, Earle’s equivalent to Money For Nothing included quite early in the set. The main set ended up on a version of the Hendrix classic Hey Joe. Chris Masterson didn’t need to light his guitar on fire in homage to Jimi – the lead licks he was throwing down were more than enough. We all left knowing Steve Earle is a master of his craft.

LOVED: Seeing Copperhead Road in the flesh HATED: Having to dispose of my bottle of water before heading back into the theatre to see Steve Earle. DRANK: Coca Cola.

Last Friday night was the first night in a long time I had really wished I had worn more clothes. Leaving the house with only a T-shirt on, the cold weather hit roughly two minutes after I’d gotten off the train. I spent most of my drinking money at an op-shop in Collingwood on a crappy set of used fingerless gloves and a flannelette shirt that smelt like it had taken the life from a severely old person. Feeling like a penniless Macklemore, I walked down Smith St towards the Grace Darling Hotel and pondered the irony of the unexpected cold weather and the fact that I was about to watch the summery, feel-good indie pop creationists Swim Season. After a small altercation with the lovely door person who insisted I was not actually on the door, I finally made my way through, my ears were pleasantly spiked by the indie rock sounds of Reika. This quartet of lads from the eastern suburbs of Melbourne have been proving themselves a relevant and must-see act by relentlessly slamming the live scene. Their music is great, and their live show is even better. It’s no wonder they’ve managed to score gigs with such esteemed Australian acts like Northeast Party House, Last Dinosaurs and Shannon Noll. Up next were Sydney band Bad Pony, whose indie pop tunes had the entire room in awe from the get go. A moustached man told me in the front bar that they were a

Cohen is quickly becoming a local act to watch, supporting Albert Hammond Jr. at his recent Melbourne show and receiving praise for Alien Anthem from NME. After support from young upstarts Hills Hoist and T.V., Cohen graced the stage to play two songs solo. Opening with the track Bitter Blues Cohen drew the beer garden crowd inside as everyone gradually huddled around the front of the stage. The album launch was a chance for Cohen to take the spotlight and as each song was performed, her confidence in the headline role visibly grew. While Cohen’s stage banter could be improved, when it went right her natural

charm was engaging and humorous. “Someone from Brisbane must be here,” joked Cohen. “People in Melbourne just look like this,” she remarked. While it did take the crowd a little longer than usual to get into the set, the talent of her backing band, along with Cohen’s gloriously drawling vocals soon made it hard to look away. The backing band’s cohesion was definitely a highlight of the show, with each member fulfilling their duties seamlessly while rocking their white shirt and black pants combination. The wonderfully frank I Don’t Feel So Alive makes for an epic live song, with the outro featuring some sweet guitar work and

even sweeter harmonies. Yesterday was equal parts gritty and ethereal and allowed Cohen to show off her incredible vocal range. The sprawling six-minute track This Could Be Love was accompanied by a horn and string section who assisted Cohen in bringing the launch to a memorable end. “I’m flabbergasted,” Cohen gushed upon assessing the size of the crowd, clearly a little beside herself to be playing a packed out show. If the night is anything to go by, it’s clear Cohen has what it takes to become a big deal. While you may not be seeing her name pop up everywhere just yet, chances are it’s only a matter of time before you do.

BY THOMAS BRAND LOVED: The Palais smells old. Like a good book, not like bad milk. HATED: Not getting up the front for a high five with D’Angelo. DRANK: Overpriced bottled water. Boo.

BY TEX MILLER

IF YOU ARE READING THIS YOU ARE TOO CLOSE

There are no songs at a Sunn O))) show, only movements. After plenty of heavier than hell riffs played slower than a geriatric slug wading through honey, singer Attila Csihar (of Mayhem fame) joined his black-cloaked bandmates onstage. His famous black metal growl filled the room and things got even louder. But I think something was slightly lost on me. The very subtle changes throughout their epic riffs were missing – they were substituted with sound waves that felt more like tidal waves. Perhaps I wasn’t particularly disciplined during the performance but I started to focus on the fact that any object not nailed to the floor was moving and vibrating. My drink literally slid across the bar when I wasn’t holding it. As impressive as their recorded works are – and as much as I enjoy these records – I was left wanting during their set. Sunn O)))’s Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson have received critical acclaim for blending diverse genres of heavy music - drone, ambient, noise and extreme metal. And they manage to do it all without a drummer. Their musicianship is infallible and their nuanced compositions are genre defining, however this performance by Sunn O))) had me feeling like I just needed more. By Naj LOVED: Successfully preventing deafness. HATED: Missing the subtleties of their studio albums. DRANK: Anything that didn’t slide off the bar.

must see act tonight, and he wasn’t lying. Their songs were equal parts catchy, upbeat, entertaining and impressive. Finally, Swim Season hit the stage to a sold-out room at 10.45pm. Being the hometown heroes of the night, the crowd were screaming their band name before they started and the patron’s feet did not stop moving for the entire set. The band played popular songs from their Cascades EP, including their single Gold Cloak City which had enjoyed a moment of spotlight on triple j the week prior. Charismatic frontman James Seymour expressed his joy multiple times in watching the crowd perspire as drummer Jonathan Ferrari kept the backbone of their indie pop tunes alive with impressive drumming chops. Swim Season are a band that demand attention. Their music and live show is one unmatched by any band I’ve seen on a local level in Melbourne. But what really captured me was the vibe in the room. It was hard to know at times if I was seeing a local band at a pub or watching a crowd favourite on the main stage at Splendour in the Grass. People were sitting on shoulders, lyrics were being sung with passion and partygoers danced until they could no more. The set finally came to an end, only to start again with a fan-lead encore. It was the perfect end to an impressive show. A testament, really, to their ever growing notoriety and fanbase. By AL DENTE LOVED: The vibe in the room. HATED: The amount of top knots. DRANK: Other peoples beers.

BY HOLLY PEREIRA LOVED: The garland decorating the stage, proving that even The Tote can look pretty. HATED: The slightly wonky table I sat at in the beer garden. DRANK: A single pint of Coopers. Going out the week post-Golden Plains is tough.

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PORT FAIRY FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL PORT FAIRY

FRIDAY MARCH 11 – MONDAY MARCH 14

The Port Fairy Folk Festival has reached its 40th anniversary without losing an ounce of its vibrancy and eclecticism. FourPlay kicked off the weekend’s proceedings with an energetic performance that demonstrated once and for all that a string quartet is more than capable of rockin’ out with plenty of firepower. On Mississippi Sinkhole the band conveyed a powerful environmental message while managing to spin some satisfyingly serpentine melodies. The Timbers brightened a drizzly Saturday morning with an opening salvo that incorporated up-tempo Celticinfused folk, bursts of vibrant brass and harnessed a punk energy. Bobby Alu and The Palm Royale, playing their second Port Fairy Folk Festival, proved to be a feel-good hit. There was something decidedly summery and zesty about this band’s sun kissed groove-laden sound and skilful use of gentle reggae rhythms. The jovial Pierce Brothers whipped up a feverish response from an ecstatic crowd with their eye-catching stage presence, likeable personalities and boot-stompin’ approach to folk-pop. The Maton Port Fairy Folk Festival Artist of the Year Marcia Howard, who clearly has golden vocal cords, was in excellent form as she

led her tight band through a beautifully played set of intelligent pop rock that included an excellent cover of Bob Dylan’s Forever Young. Dave Arden delivered an impressive set that embraced a variety of genres such as reggae and soul and featured his expansive vocal range and thought-provoking songwriting. Bustamento, led by Australia’s greatest living vibe master Nicky Bomba, generated maximum levels of joy with their skakin’ rhythms and effervescent antics. Their cover of A Message To You, Rudy was a sing-along treat. Bomba’s cheerful improvisation reached a heady peak when he climbed the scaffolding and deployed it as an effective percussive instrument. Highlights of Sunday morning’s Women in Song concert included Katie Noonan’s astonishing vocal prowess as she touchingly sang about her father who is battling illness, and Emma Donovan’s moving and deeply soulful rendition of the song Aboriginal Woman. During Archie Roach’s engaging and inclusive performance he shared the real-life experiences that his songs are based upon and sang classics such as Charcoal Lane and Took The Children Away. Like all great storytellers Roach touched hearts

and inspired reflection. Blues fans were well catered for as Steve Earle & The Dukes showcased some tracks from their latest album which were steeped in the genre. While Ash Grunwald thundered through an incendiary set of adrenaline-fuelled funk and swamp blues that was hard to beat. Canadian trio The East Pointers blasted away the Monday morning cobwebs with a rich and robust Celtic sound that featured banjo, fiddle, guitar and stomp box. Ukrainian band DakhaBrakha created bird sounds, conjuring otherworldly vocal harmonies, and integrating elements of hip hop that generated pulsating drones and rocked some serious headgear. It is in moments of discovery like these that this world-class festival solidifies its reputation and proves, resoundingly so, that it remains forever young. BY GRAHAM BLACKLEY LOVED: Bobby Alu’s chilled out vibe and ferocious musical talent. HATED: Having to wait another whole year for the next Port Fairy Folk Festival. DRANK: Guinness.

THE WOOHOO REVUE ESTONIAN HOUSE

SATURDAY MARCH 19

W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U

There’s something satisfying about arriving at a gig that will make you sweat, a gig that will demand you dance your socks off. For the Woohoo Revue, it’s an absolute given. These local larrikins treated Brunswick’s Estonian House to a gypsy fanfare in support of the release of their second fulllength album, Moreland’s Ball. Front and centre, horn and baritone players adorned kimonos flapping open and barely covering their underwear. Perhaps it was their interpretation of the ball of their wildest dreams, or perhaps they were just running late for the show. One thing is for sure – the bass player certainly stole the show in a fantastic peacock headdress and a sequined Charleston-style outfit. Wouldn’t be a Saturday night without sequins, now would it? Lifted instantly by the band’s energy, the crowd took little time getting down to the beat, needing all but a gentle nudge with one of their new cuts, Rambo. Moving through the set, it’s hard not to imagine yourself on the set of some fantastic ‘70s action movie one moment, amidst the jugglers and sword-swallowers in a circus tent the next. And then the beat sways, ever present, reminding us of a casual stroll down the French Riviera. A welcomed nod to some of their newer material, a little

more patient in tempo but still equipped with those wonderful crescendo’s to get the feet moving. The Woohoo Revue are one of those bands you feel you could play well into the night with or without an audience, entertaining themselves with West Side Story-esque dance offs and kimono sandwiches. But then what fun would those instrumental solos be without an audience to appreciate them? And what fun would playing those tunes be without anyone to waltz? These guys continue to impress. They are leaders in Australia’s gypsy scene and certainly local heroes. With shows like this, that’s not looking likely to change anytime soon. Long live the gypsy spirit. BY JEN WILSON LOVED: They dress to impress. HATED: Where there is gypsy music, there is no hate. DRANK: Myself stupid.

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Top Tens RECORD PARADISE TOP TEN

1. Young Blindness THE MURLOCS 2. Primary Colours EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING 3. High ROYAL HEADACHE 4. Emotional Mugger TY SEGALL 5. Tyrannamen TYRANNAMEN 6. 99c SANTIGOLD 7. The Waiting Room TINDERSTICKS 8. Afterlife NO ZU 9. Twerps TWERPS 10. Night Thoughts SUEDE

PBS TOP TEN

1. untitled unmastered KENDRICK LAMAR 2. Cosmic American Music VA: WAYFARING STRANGERS 3. Music for Listening to Music To LA SERA 4. Fantasy League ANDREW TUTTLE 5. My Script KIM SALMON 6. Blues of Desperation JOE BONAMASSA 7. II KHUN NARIN 8. Link Up & Suede EP NXWORRIES 9. The Last Panthers OST CLARK 10. Full Circle LORETTA LYNN

IGGY POP

HEARTLAND RECORDS TOP TEN

Post Pop Depression (Caroline Australia)

It’s not easy to identify the reference point for a new Iggy Pop album. You know you can’t benchmark it against the proto punk rock of The Stooges – the deviant psychedelic angst of Funhouse, or the nihilistic glam of Raw Power. You want it to at least pretend to be the Berlin brilliance of The Idiot and Lust for Life, or even right the wrongs that sapped the potential of New Values and Soldier. And you know you’d cry if Iggy limboed underneath travesties such as Blah Blah Blah, Instinct, Avenue B and The Weirdness. So where does that leave Iggy’s newest, and possibly last album Post Pop Depression? The self-referential aspect of the title is the first thing you notice: Iggy’s getting on, his Stooges mates – bar the re-born Straight James, of course – have all departed this mortal coil, and even pop’s champion David Bowie has exited the earth for heavenly pastures. He can see the end, and despite the intensity of his hip-thrusting dance with death in the 1970s, isn’t quite yet ready to leave the building. Iggy has found a willing musical companion in Queens of the Stone Age guitarist and singer Josh Homme. It’s a collaborative partnership that pushes Post Pop Depression into rewarding territory, much of it representing the different shades of Iggy: older, wiser

and just as enigmatic as ever. There’s some Weimarinspired Berlin rock in Break Into Your Heart, with Iggy the ageing romantic, all goofy grins and sardonic commentary. The shimmering Gardenia is where the ‘80s could have taken Iggy if he hadn’t missed the bus and ended up at the regrettable Zombie Birdhouse; American Valhalla is The Passenger on a Jack Kerouac trip, searching for a lost fantasy world. On Vulture, Iggy is excoriating, potentially casting his gaze across the detritus of the music industry, finally seeing these schmoozing corporate types for the sycophantic parasites that they’ve always been. German Days cloaks its nostalgia in Krautrock pop, while Paraguay is the narcissistic Iggy of yore, transposed to a world he thought he’d never live to see (“I’m going where sore losers go, to hide my face and spend my dough”). The only yardstick for an Iggy Pop record is James Osterberg, the smart Ann Arbor kid who faded with the creation of the Iggy Pop caricature. Maybe Post Pop Depression is actually the best ever James Osterberg record, and Iggy’s finally come home. BY PATRICK EMERY

SINGLE REVIEWS WITH AUGIE relishes the setting and it works. It’s stripped back, not so much to the point of detriment, but lacking in a certain garnish to elevate into something special.

CASSIUS FEAT. CAT POWER & MIKE D Action (Universal) Like much of the most recent SBTRKT record, Action is a slightly interesting idea with curious stunt casting on the vocal, but leaving little in the way of lasting impression. The groove is slinky and enticing, Chan Marshall

STREET CHANT Insides (Flying Nun) Insides seesaws while teetering towards pop punk melody, and it wouldn’t be a disaster if it fully indulged in these tendencies. Sneering churlishness is compounded by unabashed silliness in guitar noodling. There’s fun in the spasmodic approach,

but not too much fun. A breath between the barrage would be nice. TINY LITTLE HOUSES Milo Tin (Independent) Building upon the solid promise of Easy, Tiny Little Houses play to their strengths on Milo Tin, adding a sense of national identity exploration in the midst of introspection. There’s such a strong tonal character, an assuring growth in that Tiny Little Houses explore what sets them apart without overcooking their idiosyncrasies. It sounds lovely.

W E

ALDOUS HARDING I’m So Sorry (Spunk) Alluring with cyclical waves of arpeggio, I’m So Sorry presents a rawer intimacy than that of Aldous Harding’s self-titled album of 2014. It’s there, the core of the song making its entirety, elements such as saxophone cameo with a subtle impact, imbuing classic resplendence upon classic resplendence. Harding is a rich talent, the prestige lying in an ability to blindside without showiness—a focus so powerful. No solid news on album number two, but it’s in your best interests to keep an ear out. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 98

HOW SICK IS MUSIC? HEAPS WICKED

OFF THE HIP TOP TEN

1. Anywhere and Everything LP RON S. PENO 2. In A Free Land 7” HUSKER DU 3. Jimi Hendrix Story 3xLP JIMI HENDRIX 4. Quarters LP KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD 5. I’m In Your Mind Fuzz LP KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD 6. Gangrenous 10” MEANIES 7. God Save The Queen 7” SEX PISTOLS 8. 10 Years CD LOS CHICOS 9. Steak & Eggs 7” THE VIBRAJETS 10. Kaptain Kavemen LP VARIOUS

SYN’S SWEET TEN

Our months–long national nightmare is over. Footy season is back, baby!!!! LIL YACHTY FT. QUAVO, SKIPPA DA FLIPPA, & YOUNG THUG Minnesota Remix (Independent) This is beautiful.

1. Blues From Hell 2LP HOWLIN WOLF 2. Tusk Live 3LP FLEETWOOD MAC 3. Slow Season LP/CD SLOW SEASON 4. Crown Of Thorns LP MOTHER LOVE BONE 5. Live Over Freak Valley LP MOTHERSHIP 6. Wild Birds Live LP/CD PETER MURPHY 7. Last Splash LP THE BREEDERS 8. Ego Death LP THE INTERNET 9. Blood Divine Lies LP MAGNUM 10. Night Songs LP CINDERELLA

1. Uniform BLACK CAB 2. Across The Sea FALQO 3. Time With You GEORGIA MAE 4. They’ve Come Into My Home MANOR 5. Gold Cloak City SWIM SEASON 6. Right Now Amber ARCADES 7. Waiting For The Thunder APOTHEK 8. Sour Candy BLEACHED 9. What If I Go MURA MASA 10. The Silver Lining SAOSIN

BEAT’S TOP TEN JOKES OR MASTERPIECES

1. Fourfiveseconds RHIANNA, KANYE WEST & PAUL MCCARTNEY 2. Jenny From The Block JENNIFER LOPEZ 3. Nobody Likes A Bogan AREA-7 4. Coco Jambo MR PRESIDENT 5. Nookie LIMP BIZKIT 6. Business Time FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS 7. The Thong Song SISQO 8. I’ve Never Been To Me CHARLENE 9. Trapped In The Closet R. KELLY 10. Eye Of The Tiger SURVIVOR

BEA

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ALBUM REVIEWS

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BIG WHITE

THE GOON SAX

LIIMA

TEENAGE DREAMS (Dinosaur City/Caroline)

UP TO ANY THING (Chapter)

II (4AD/Remote Control)

Structurally, Sydney’s Big White have one of the more unique arrangements in the indie realm: three guitarists – all of whom share lead vocal duties – and a keyboardist in lieu of a bassist. It’s one of the many attributes that ensure the quintet stands out from the pack. The band’s long-awaited debut LP, Teenage Dreams, collates the string of singles they have dropped over the course of the last year or so and matches them with an equally fresh batch of brimming, bustling pop tunes. Glassy guitar tones and brisk drums guide a dozen songs through elements of slacker jangle, new wave, post-punk and garage-dwelling rock. It’s retrotinged, certainly – see the VHS-quality album cover – but never feels reductive or regressively so. You Know I Love You is playful and punchy, with Cody Moore recalling Robert Smith at his cheeriest; while Tuesday is a lovelorn slow dance through outer suburbia. Dinosaur City, alternatively, marries chirpy chord inversions with sugary synth buzz. Well worth the wait, Teenage Dreams is confident, consistent and creative. It’s a sharply dressed indie-rock record that takes an Old El Paso stance on the hard-fought war between style and substance: Why don’t we have both? BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

A gang of teenagers make music that owes a lot to adolescence, but never feels juvenile or simplistic. For most of us, our teenage years were filled with awkward and uncomfortable days as we tried to find our place in the world. The Goon Sax, a Brisbane trio made up of 17 and 18-year-olds, present those days in all their frenzied glory on their debut release Up To Anything. Here, teen melodrama melds beautifully with shoegaze pop music, amplifying the messages of wanting to blend in, stand out, and fade away all at the same time. The band members’ youth – a factor that most would take to mean inexperience – is used to their benefit. Who else but teenagers are more qualified to sing about the misery of trying to get others to like you when you’re not sure you do yourself ? Songs like Home Haircuts and Boyfriend cover thematic material that swings from the emotionally overdramatic to the painfully dull, while Sweaty Hands captures the shared embarrassments we take for personal failures. Up To Anything is a snapshot of those teenage days when we interpret our awkwardness as a fault, not yet recognising it as that which makes us unique. This makes the music both personal, relatable, and wonderfully sincere. This is a brilliant debut filled with teenage bravado and a talent belying the band’s years. BY DANIEL PRIOR

M. WARD

Liima assembled their first album II during a series of artistic residencies where they would improvise new material in front of a live audience, and the end result is a tightly layered piece of electronica, albeit one slightly darker and more sombre than those initial live recordings. Driven by the eclectic percussion of Tatu Rönkkö, II functions best when Liima hit a complex and melancholic groove, but they sometimes lose their edge in uninspired vocals and chords. Take, for example, their lead single Amerika. It starts off as a minimalistic headbanger, with a pulsating reverberation propelling it forward, only for lead singer Casper Clausen to rob the song of its momentum with his sonorous lament. The music takes a back seat to Clausen’s voice, and in this case he shouldn’t be driving. However, in You Stayed In Touch With The Wrong Guy, the band’s haunting vocal harmonies soar over the rippling synth, building into a bittersweet crescendo. After a moment’s silence, Liima rev back into gear and they build into another climax that concludes once again with a staggering effect. When II maintains the rawness of the improvisation from which it was born, the album succeeds, but its willingness to rest on its laurels makes this a flawed gem of experimental electronica rather than an all out success. BY JAMES ROSS

JEFF BUCKLEY

ST. PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES

YOU AND I (Sony Music Australia)

MORE RAIN (Merge Records)

Whether in the guise of solo recordings or the several folk-rock bands he has been a part of, M. Ward is forever expanding upon the boundaries already flattened by the likes of Howe Gelb, Devendra Banhart and Will Oldham, all the while retaining a respectful attitude towards the established traditions of American country-folk. The title track of More Rain is a short, quasi-field recording of... rain. By the second song Pirate Dial common sense prevails as Ward reignites the fire in his belly. Time Won’t Wait Up manifests a degree of rock zeal before clanking pianola floods in, the song articulated by a voice which, when applied correctly, is a beautiful instrument. Confession is a stellar, lilting lament. “There’s a place you can hide when they’re conspiring against you,” offers Ward, whilst steadfast in withholding the whereabouts of this secret location. This song is like a Tom Petty stomper and is built to last. I’m Listening (Child’s Theme) emits a reflective mood as Ward gives inner peace a chance. Girl From Conejo Valley sees Ward’s unnerved vocals jostle with scattered beats and electronic crescendo’s, the jarring combination elicits bodily thrashing and the subsequent fusing of the cranium. Slow Driving Man is a little more reflective and abstract. But Ward ticks his usual boxes and deploys these ingredients expertly. For a slightly off-kilter Valentine’s Day mood setter that could also be a campfire singalong in the hinterland, look no further than You’re So Good To Me. Little Baby is a tender throwback to the roots of rock’n’roll, with the album closed out by I’m Going Higher. More Rain is yet another album that acts to secure M. Ward’s standing as one of the finest songwriters working across, and excelling in, a multitude of genres.

Jeff Buckley’s sudden and mysterious drowning in the Mississippi river ended the talented musician’s life almost twenty years ago. The only studio album he released, Grace, received praise from some of music’s greats: David Bowie, Led Zeppelin and Bob Dylan. Following his death, demos – the early makings of his sophomore album – were released posthumously, but the volume of music available has been scarce. Recently discovered in the Sony music archives during research for the 20th anniversary edition of Grace were the very first studio recordings Jeff Buckley made for Columbia Records, now released in the form of You and I. Overseen by the late singer’s mother, You and I offers ten unheard tracks, most of which are covers, along with two original songs. Revealing the wide range of influences in his artistry, covers of Sly & the Family Stone, Bob Dylan, The Smiths, Ray Charles and Led Zeppelin acquaint fans to the music cherished by Buckley. None of these tracks were recorded for release, so in lieu of a developed and produced sound, fans have the rare opportunity to hear Buckley sing and talk with an unusually personal approach. It’s for this reason that original track Dream of You and I is the standout song on the album. This haunting tune sees Buckley play music that came to him in a dream, while describing the non-linear events surrounding the song. You and I also allows fans to hear the very first recording of Grace, the leading track from his debut album. This isn’t a body of work that can really be evaluated - it was never meant to be heard in the way that most people consume albums. But for fans it provides a greater insight into Buckley’s creative process and artistry, heard through a series of spellbinding solo performances

BY BRONIUS ZUMERIS

BY TAMARA VOGL

ALBUM REVIEWS - BECAUSE YOU CARE WHAT WE THINK

HALF THE CIT Y (Single Lock/Cooking Vinyl)

St. Paul and The Broken Bones’ brand of soul is at once defiant, longing, gentle and joyful. It’s their experimentation within the genre that makes them relatable and relevant, and Half The City does an excellent job of catering to a wide range of listeners. If you’re prone to emotion, grab the tissue box for I’m Torn Up, because this opening track is so careful and powerful that you’ll want to run and give vocalist Paul Janeway a big hug by the end. In fact, Janeway’s vocals are extraordinary consistently throughout the album, bringing Otis Redding’s tenderness and texture to mind. They must not be overlooked, particularly on Grass Is Greener and It’s Midnight, where even the tiny details and vocal inflections shine. But the mood quickly changes from solemn to upbeat from song to song, and there is a nice change of pace in tracks like Sugar Dyed and Don’t Mean A Thing. However, Call Me really steals the show with its catchy hook, and the composition moves along without a hitch. Much like artists such as Leon Bridges, St. Paul and The Broken Bones are bringing a modern take to the soul genre whilst simultaneously letting old influences shine through, making this album an easygoing, nostalgic listen. BY ERIN ROONEY

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 99

Q&A

GIG GUIDE

summer songwriters - feat: adrian brooks + them high spirits Tago Mago, Thornbury. 8:00pm. sweeps + mayfield + jack nicholls Workers Club,

WEDNESDAY 23 MAR MUDDY BLUES ROULETTE

ALANNA EILEEN Hey there Alanna. Can you let us know a little bit more about what you play and how you perform? I sing and play fingerstyle guitar and piano. At the moment, I perform as a soloist. You’ve received great praise for what’s described as a purity in your voice – how do you maintain that purity? Whenever I play live, it’s one of the main comments people make. I don’t consciously do anything to maintain it and it’s not something I would have thought about or even noticed. Because I’ve always suffered from intense shyness, being able to sing has served as a form of expression I might otherwise lack. I feel like the sound of my voice communicates who I am or what I feel better than anything I say. Your music’s been described as having a gothic edge in the past, would you agree? I think it’s more applicable to my first EP Absence, where the lyrical content is often quite symbolic and obtuse. In Your Hands, my new release, feels lighter and less abstract. You’ve got an incredibly busy schedule ahead of you – writing songs, organising an upcoming UK tour and creating music videos – is it more exhilarating or exhausting? What I most enjoy is writing songs and singing, so the managerial aspects can sometimes appear daunting, but not really - I just feel blessed to be able to do these things. What do you think you’ll get up to post UK tour? After the tour, I’m going to be going into a studio to record a full-length album for which I’m currently writing new material. ALANNA EILEEN will be launching her new EP In Your Hands at Shebeen on Thursday March 24 with special guests Alexander Biggs and SEAGULL.

Q&A

Fitzroy. 7:00pm. $10.00.

T H E C AT F I S H Muddy’s Blues Roulette celebrated its first birthday this month with a giant lineup of local blues legends. The event has been garnering a massive following as Melbourne’s only revolving blues night, and though the birthday celebrations will be hard to top, Andy Phillips will be taking to the stage on Wednesday March 23 for this week’s edition. Free entry in the front bar of The Catfish, starting 8pm.

adam rudegeair (the bowie project) Paris Cat Jazz

So, who are you? Hi, we’re I Am Mine! Some of our interests include mixing together heavy riffs with just the right amount of fuzz and drop tuning, with loud, hard hitting, bombastic drums topped off with powerful yet emotional vocals to really fill a room. What’s been keeping you busy for the past few months? We’ve been working hard on releasing an EP and laying down demo tracks for start pre-production on our first album. Tell us about the best gig you ever played. Best gig ever was probably last year at The Retreat Hotel. We packed the house for our first headline show and really felt the energy of the crowd. It was also our first hour-long set which meant we could play the majority of our songs as well as a cover of Sunshine of your love with James Falsone from The Crookeds singing a duet. What are you listening to right now? Prymal and Vision Street are two sweet Melbourne bands that draw you in from start to finish and keep the tempo pumping. We’re also huge fans of two Adelaide bands, Filthy Lucre and Jungle City. I AM MINE are launching their new single Never on Saturday March 26 at The Brunswick Hotel. They’ll be supported by Vision Street, Filthy Lucre, SheWolf. Bands from 9pm-1am BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 100

SWIM TEAM

T H E TOT E Wednesday March 23 welcomes gal-power outfit Swim Team’s weekly residency at The Tote Front Bar. Head down in fancy dress-up because why the hell not, and check out the possible array of ridiculous merch. There’ll be a stack of brand new tunes Swim Team want you to get down to and garage pop trio Cable Ties will be providing support. Bands kick off at 8.30, no coinage needed.

In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $25.00.

wine whiskey women - feat: tracey hogue + teresa dixon Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:00pm.

THURSDAY 24 MAR clunk orchestra Newport Bowling Club, Newport.

Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $20.00.

big easy soul sessions Carlton Club, Melbourne

massive + black aces + vision street Evelyn Hotel,

7:00pm.

Cbd. 8:00pm.

Fitzroy. 9:00pm. $20.00.

fulton street + dj vince peach + dj pierre baroni

open mic Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 6:00pm.

Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $10.00.

pillow pro Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $5.00.

jazzcats Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm.

rubix radio on kissfm Rubix Warehouse, Brunswick.

$10.00.

8:30pm.

melbourne improvisers collective Uptown Jazz

shadowland The Croxton, Thornbury. 8:00pm.

Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

$50.00.

out to play - feat: tom showtime + dj maars + d’fro + more Section 8, Melbourne Cbd. 2:00pm.

CLASS ACTS #8

rebecca mendoza Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne

T H E G R AC E DA R L I N G H OT E L Class Acts are an event that have been gaining momentum in recent months, recently finding a new home at The Grace Darling Hotel. The shows aim to present a diverse range of local and interstate music from a mixed bag of genres. The eighth instalment on Wednesday March 23 will be showcasing the sublime musical stylings Caroline No, Coastbusters, Popolice and Denim Owl. Free entry and doors are at 8pm.

Cbd. 8:00pm. $25.00.

OUT TO PLAY THE HUNTED CROWS

SECTION 8 On Thursday March 24, Section 8 are hosting a charity event to raise funds for the Darwin Asylum Seeker Support and Advocacy Network (DASSAN), and to show support for children in detention centres. A variety of musicians and DJs will be providing entertainment, ranging in flavours from acoustic hindu, reggae, dub, hip hop, funk, house and tech house. It’s all kicking off from 2pm.

kristian chong (timeless inevitablity) Melbourne

C H E R RY B A R Melbourne’s very own rock duo The Hunted Crows will be continuing their Cherry Bar residency on Wednesday March 23. For the week’s addition they will be joined by dark-psych trio Fifth Friend and The Deadlips, who will be bringing some fiercely female led hard rock. Doors are at 6pm and entry is just $5.

Recital Centre, Southbank. 2:00pm. $29.00.

the names + c.s. bishop & buck lexton + thug

the good egg thursdays - feat: henry who +

kristian chong (timeless inevitablity) Melbourne

mills Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:30pm.

tigerfunk + lewis cancut Lucky Coq, Windsor.

Recital Centre, Southbank. 6:00pm. $29.00.

andy phillips Catfish, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

7:00pm.

lo-res + tom fryer band + junkie 303, Northcote.

cotton club - feat: dan dinnen + dj matthew

the hip joint - feat: entro + sadiva + durban

8:00pm.

frederick + the bluebelles Spotted Mallard,

poison + bee ampersand + more Boney, Melbourne

los chicos + money for rope + wrong turn Sooki

Brunswick. 7:30pm.

Cbd. 9:00pm.

Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm. $19.40.

garrett kato Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm.

the hot pockets Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 8:00pm.

quantum milkshake + reuben stone live loops +

$15.00.

the pacific belles Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne

lama Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $8.00.

open mic Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 7:00pm.

Cbd. 7:30pm. $20.00.

sex on toast + frida + dx-heaven Gasometer Hotel,

open mic night Purple Emerald, Northcote. 8:00pm.

those pretty wrongs + two am i + djs woody

Collingwood. 8:00pm. $17.00.

open mic night Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale. 8:00pm.

mcdonald & fraser a gorman Gasometer Hotel,

stav + tetrahedra + mondegreen Grace Darling

rhiannon giddens + monica weightman Corner

Collingwood. 8:00pm. $33.00.

Hotel, Collingwood. 7:30pm. $10.00.

Hotel, Richmond. 7:30pm. $44.00.

timbalero thursday La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd.

the hypnotic + davies west Open Studio, Northcote.

rumble in the jungle - feat: joey elbows The

9:00pm. $10.00.

8:00pm.

Luwow, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

yuux & the gang Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford.

xani kolac & the twoks Bennetts Lane Jazz Club,

sean simmons Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm.

7:30pm.

Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

ALEX LAHEY

MODERN HYPNOSIS

bopstretch Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. dizzy’s big band Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $10.00.

I AM MINE

the east pointers + the mae trio + aine tyrell Toff

british india Workers Club, Geelong. 8:00pm. ebonivory + winfield Karova Lounge, Ballarat. 8:30pm. $10.00.

hey hey it’s friday - feat: astro boys Royal Hotel (essendon), Essendon. 10:00pm.

THE OLD BAR Alex Lahey is celebrating her brand spanking new single You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me at The Old Bar on Wednesday March 23. Their new hit was produced by Oscar Dawson (Holy Holy, Ali Barter), and is a response to the classic break up line, ‘It’s not you, it’s me’. The track follows on from previous single, Air Mail, which led to triple j Unearthed naming Alex in their ‘Ones To Watch In 2016’ forecast. Support comes from Diet and Max Quinn’s Onomatopenis. Doors are at 8pm, $7 entry.

B E AT.C O M . A U

rob burke sextet Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

LOOP PROJECT SPACE & BAR Round three of Modern Hypnosis at the Loop Project Space & Bar promises to be of mint condition. Eric Strykert and Infinite WAX are set to take control of the turntables while Bloom AV will be handling the visuals. Expect a combination of techno, house, dubstep, things that are soulful and things that will make your foot go tap. Join them on Thursday March 24 for a beer and a boogie. Kicks off at 9pm.

GIG GUIDE RORT

T HE TOTE Aw man it’s Rort’s last show ever on Friday March 25 at The Tote Front Bar. It’ll be a teary night of goodbyes but Rort have gathered together killer support acts from Sewercide, Internal Rot, Oily Boys and Shackles. $12 on the door, get yourself there at 8.30pm.

UNHOLY GOOD FRIDAY

birthday girl Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 7:00pm.

T H E B E N D I G O H OT E L Good Friday is generally a day where you’re meant to keep things a little quiet and reflective, but The Bendigo don’t stick to the rules. Decrepit Soul will be launching their album, Nocturnal Graves are bringing their pounding death metal, Denouncement Pyre are saying goodbye before their appearance at Maryland Deathfest and Mshing just wanna get amongst the sweat. You probably do too. $15 entry with doors at 8pm.

$10.00..

wise child + solar tapes + james seedy Bar Open,

the road rangers Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale.

Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

8:00pm.

bossa nights - feat: darius & noel mendoza + dj

kissing booth + older men + sailormouth +

juan + dj nas Osti, Prahran. 7:00pm. dj joey elbows Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm.

TWIN FIRES

T H E PE N N Y B L AC K Blues-folk trio Twin Fires have recently dropped their new single and video for Two Hands which was featured on triple j Unearthed’s best new music videos. The single was recorded by Tony Buchen (The Preatures, Andy Bull) and they’re down from Sydney this weekend to party with their growing Melburnian fan-base. Their EP, This Time I’m Fine is due for release later this year. It’s all happening at The Penny Black on Friday March 25, with free entry for all.

the meltdown Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

THE VENDETTAS

C HERRY BAR Rock‘n’roll five-piece The Vendetta’s will be launching their long awaited film clip for the track Ain’t No Time on Friday March 25. The Vendetta’s had a big 2015 with the release of their sophomore LP Bystander and Destroyer and have been playing a whole lot of shows across the year. Black Aces, Cicadastone and Kvlts of Vice will be supporting to help get the night going. Head on down to Cherry Bar at 8pm, $10 entry.

the selecter + strange tenants Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. $55.00.

GYPSY & THE CAT

trippin’ up jazz jam + monique angele My

+ denouncement pyre + decrepit soul + mshing

H OWL E R Gypsy & The Cat busted onto the scene in 2010 with their triumphant debut LP Gilgamesh, and later following it up with The Late Blue and then their most recent EP, Hearts A Gun. They’ve landed a hattrick of singles in the triple j Hottest 100, played internationally acclaimed festivals like Summersonic ( Japan), Big Day Out and Splendour in the Grass and headlined tours across Australia, France, Germany, UK, and more. Floor filling number Inside Your Mind is the first single off their upcoming third LP. Catch them at Howler on Friday March 25. Doors at 8.30 pm, tickets are on sale for $30.

Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $15.00.

funkalleros Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm.

walken + muddy chanter + foley + summer blood

heather stewart Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne

+ claws & organs Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm.

Cbd. 8:30pm. $25.00.

tom jones Hamer Hall (arts Centre Melbourne), Southbank. 8:00pm. $99.90.

unholy good friday 3 - feat: nocturnal graves

8:00pm. $5.00.

watt’s on presents Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 8:30pm.

TASTE

D ING DONG LOUNGE Ding Dong Lounge are hosting a reunion show for ‘70’s rock trio Taste on Friday March 25. With their new album Life On Earth due for release in late May, Taste are keeping appetites sated with the launch of a post-apocalyptic music video to accompany the single I Am God. Support comes from special guest Robot Child. Doors are at 8pm, sink your teeth into a ticket via Oztix.

8:00pm.

B A R O PE N Dark electronica duo Wise Child have just dropped their latest single Figurehead, and they’re playing a show at Bar Open to celebrate. The track is a followup from their earlier release Tomoko, which attracted the interest of James Cecil (Architecture in Helsinki) and Simon Lam (Klo/I’lls), both lending a hand with the new release. Supports on the night are from Solar Tapes, James Seedy and RKDA DJs. It’s all going down at 9pm.

T HE REVERENCE Georgina Martina Inc run much needed highsecurity family violence refuges in the inner north of Melbourne, and the good guys over at The Reverence are hosting a benefit to help raise some much needed cash on Friday March 25. There will be an auction of some original drawings by Older Men bassist Dase Beard, with music from Kissing Booth, Older Men, Sailormouth and Birthday Girl. Support a good cause this Good Friday, doors are at 7pm, $10 entry.

+ the belafontes Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood.

virus Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd.

WISE CHILD

GEORGINA MARTINA FUNDRAISER

water bear + barefoot spaceman + pink harvest

Handlebar, Brunswick. 8:00pm.

what the funk fridays Purple Emerald, Northcote.

DIED PRETTY

N AT I O N A L G A L L E RY O F V I C TO R I A Died Pretty are taking over the National Gallery of Victoria as part of the Friday Nights at the NGV series. The alt-rockers have been kicking it since 1983, amassing a huge following and securing an iconic status over the years. To make the night even more special, their performance will run alongside the Andy Warhol/Ai Wei Wei exhibition at the gallery. It kicks off at 6pm on Friday March 25, tickets are on sale via the NGV.

9:00pm.

williamson/mcconnachie sextet Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

chris wilson Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 5:15pm. emma wall & the urban folk + daniel reeves + z-star delta Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:00pm.

mel searle (an ella fitzgerald tribute) Paris Cat

$10.00.

Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $25.00.

gretta ziller Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6:00pm.

st matthew passion - feat: the melbourne bach

jaron freeman fox & the opposite of everything

choirs and orchestras Melbourne Recital Centre,

+ the willie wagtails Spotted Mallard, Brunswick.

Southbank. 2:30pm. $60.00.

6:00pm. $12.00.

SICK MACHINE

WH O L E LOT TA LOV E Good Friday goes bad in the best way, with a night of hard and fast thrash and grindcore punk at Whole Lotta Love on Friday March 25. Sick Machine are headlining the night, with a list of bands supporting that’s long enough to rival a Yeti’s arm span. Get in by 7pm to catch the likes of Saskatchewan, The Out Of Towners, Crooked Path, Iscariot, Spectral Fires and Disasters. Free entry. It’s what our Lord and Saviour would want. B E AT.C O M . A U

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 103

BECOME AN AMAZING LEAD GUITARIST

GIG GUIDE the late show - feat: ransom + get busy + arks + elle + more Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 10:00pm. the sugarfoot ramblers Bar Open, Fitzroy. 4:00pm. yvette johansson Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

alex burns trio Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:30pm.

big daddy wilson Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick.

AERIALS

SUNDAY 27 MAR XYLOURIS WHITE

N O R T H COT E S O C I A L C LU B Xylouris White are set to wrap up their Australian tour with a show at the Northcote Social Club. The duo consists of innovative Dirty Three drummer Jim White and lute player George Xylouris, combining forces to produce a sound that crosses both continents and genres. Experience it for yourself on Sunday March 27. Tickets are available via Ticketscout.

C H E R RY B A R Brisbane’s alt-rockers Aerials are hitting the road to celebrate the launch of their new single Separate, from their sophomore EP Restless. Aerials blend bass hooks, brooding synths and punk-rock chants, resulting in a sound somewhere between experimental electronica and raw garage rock. They will be hitting up Cherry Bar on Sunday March 27 with support from Melbourne’s Arcane Saints. $13 entry at 7pm.

decadencia Bar Open, Fitzroy. 7:30pm.

ROCK-A-TONK FESTIVAL

8:00pm. $28.00.

a blonde moment Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale.

the 131’s + bad vision + young offenders Old Bar,

dan lethbridge Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6:00pm.

8:00pm.

Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $8.00.

dan lethbridge Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:30pm.

dellacoma rio + anth nekich + jarrod marsh

the tarantinos Gem Bar, Collingwood. 7:00pm.

daryl braithwaite Barwon Heads Hotel, Barwon

Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8:00pm.

andrea keller transients trio Bennetts Lane Jazz

Heads. 7:00pm.

goons of doom Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd.

Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

doggerel Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:30pm.

9:00pm. $12.00.

renée geyer - feat: renee geyer Bennetts Lane Jazz

THE RETREAT Sometimes on Easter Sunday, hearing some of the best rockabilly and honky tonk bands in town is what is truly needed. The Retreat have The Rechords, Ezra Lee and The Havoc, Dogsday, Wild Turkey and The E.R.T Trio on the bill this Sunday. Music kicks off from 2pm and will be going right through till the wee hours with DJ Fairbanks Robinson bringing you home till 3am. As always, free entry.

eilen jewell Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm.

i exalt + justice for the damned Wrangler Studios,

Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

catfish voodoo + ivan zar Cherry Bar, Melbourne

$38.00.

Footscray. 2:00pm.

soul sessions - feat: jimi hocking Continental

Cbd. 3:00pm. $5.00.

jukebox racket Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:30pm.

jam at musicland sundays Musicland, Fawkner.

Hotel Sorrento, Sorrento. 3:00pm.

crafty anne + boomer’s jukebox + tout sweet

karaoke with zoe Customs House Hotel,

7:30pm.

sunday soul sessions Purple Emerald, Northcote.

Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 3:00pm.

Williamstown. 9:00pm.

jaron freeman fox & the opposite of everything

9:00pm.

dan lethbridge + the f100’s Drunken Poet, West

kraken folk session Drunken Poet, West Melbourne.

The Who Club, Warburton. 8:00pm. $10.00.

the jawa pitu band Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm.

Melbourne. 4:00pm.

3:00pm.

karate elvis The B.east, Brunswick East. 2:00pm.

daryl braithwaite Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh.

lachlan bryan & the wildes Union Hotel

kuchi kopi + trillionayers Karova Lounge, Ballarat.

PIKNIC ELECTRONIK

(brunswick), Brunswick. 5:00pm.

9:00pm. $10.00.

miff & the reunion Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:00pm. $10.00.

masses + tøl + karli white + sistema en

the summervilles + khan Old Bar, Fitzroy. 3:00pm. toby robsinson Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick.

F E D E R AT I O N S Q UA R E If you’re looking for something a little different on Easter Sunday, look no further than this week’s edition of Piknic Electronik. In addition to a killer lineup featuring Sonja Moonear, Perlon’s Sammy Dee and Dewalta, the day will provide an abundance of activities for the little ones including an Easter Egg hunt, skateboard lessons and a music workshop. Get on down to Federation Square on Sunday March 27, tickets are on sale now.

8:00pm. $32.00.

elwood blues club Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 8:00pm.

ken maher + tony hargreaves Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:00pm.

kingswood Torquay Hotel, Torquay. 8:00pm. $28.60.

5:00pm.

the melbourne jazz co-op Uptown Jazz Cafe,

michelle gardiner Customs House Hotel,

wolfpack + jerkbeast + monkey grip Retreat Hotel,

Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

Williamstown. 3:00pm.

Brunswick. 9:30pm.

the seven ups Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 4:30pm.

z-star delta + sebastien-h Baha Tacos & Tapas Bar,

toke de keda Jason Coleman’s Ministry Of Dance,

LEFTOVER CRACK

Rye. 7:30pm. $10.00.

WILL WOOD

T H E B.E A S T After years as a drummer in the Auckland music scene, playing for the likes of hardcore/power violence band Parents and country heavyweights Bernie Griffen and The Grifters, 2014 saw Will Wood undergo an unlikely transformation into a solo artist, releasing his debut LP Broken Man. Wood has also toured with big-name acts such as The Handsome Family, Frank Turner, and Wagons. Swoon away your Sunday blues when he plays The B.East on Sunday March 27 at 8.30pm.

North Melbourne. 8:00pm. $70.00.

all day fritz Open Studio, Northcote. 4:30pm. blown cones Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5:00pm. bossa brunswick Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 5:00pm.

B E AT.C O M . A U

THE BENDIGO NYC five-piece Leftöver Crack remain one of the most mysterious collectives in the punk-rock universe. At the end of 2015, Fat Wreck Chords released Leftöver Crack’s Volume III: Constructs of the State, that featured a wide array of special guests including members of CRASS, The Dead Milkmen, Chewing on Tinfoil and The Riverboat Gamblers. Leftöver Crack are hitting up The Bendigo on Sunday March 27 as part of their Australian tour and will be joined by Wet Pensioner, Phat Meegz and Jerkbeast. Tickets are $38 with doors at 8pm.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 105

GIG GUIDE WATERLOO

nahko & medicine for the people + yirrmal

TH E O LD B A R A pop-up bar and exhibition combo is coming to The Old Bar from Tuesday March 29 for a week. View and purchase over 40 pieces of original art from ten painters, sculptors and illustrators upstairs, including robotic installation art, Martian animals and plant life. With plenty of merch, prints and Mars paraphernalia to take away with you, you can remember a pivotal night in Melbourne’s diverse culture. Sip Martian ale on tap in the bar downstairs with space-rockers Waterloo and Martian-folk Susy Blue. 7pm, $8.

Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm.

sunday session - feat: brunsy Ferntree Gully Hotel, Ferntree Gully. 2:00pm.

sunday sessions - feat: various artists Lucky Coq, Windsor. 4:00pm.

taner remzi 303, Northcote. 4:00pm. the band who knew too much Union Hotel

jaala + gregor + kirkis Gasometer Hotel,

(brunswick), Brunswick. 5:00pm.

Collingwood. 8:00pm. $18.00.

the boys Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6:00pm. the stragglers + matt green + patsy oswald Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 3:00pm.

ultrafox Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 5:30pm. unsealed road Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

LOS CHICOS

TH E R E T R E AT Los Chicos will be bringing their pub-rock-punk and country-gospel-punk-soul back to The Retreat on Monday March 28. They’ve released four albums and have appeared on international compilations. Expect a smattering of guitars, flip flops, ridiculously catchy rock’n’roll and serious party times. Free entry, doors at 8pm.

z-star delta Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.

MONDAY 28 MAR MUNDANE EASTER MONDAY

T HE O LD BAR If being back at your parents house for Easter on Sunday feels a bit too tedious, at least you can look forward to this goodie on Monday. The Old Bar’s Mundane Monday’s are back on Monday March 28, and it’s a little less Mundane because it’s a glorious public holiday. The one man machine Bob Log III returns with The Mighty Boys and Shrimpwitch. 8pm and $10 entry on the door, no presales.

cherry jam Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. leftöver crack + weedy gonzalez + wolfpack + phat meegz + terror nullius + servo burger Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 6:00pm.

live nude girls + the burning roaches + molasses Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm.

milonga Bella Union Bar, Carlton. 8:00pm. $10.00. richmond music academy Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 6:30pm. $9.00.

sweet ade Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm. hills hoist + zig zag + baked beans Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $5.00.

moreland city soul revue Union Hotel (brunswick),

noel gallagher’s high flying birds Margaret Court

Brunswick. 7:30pm.

Arena, Melbourne. 8:00pm. $101.85.

uptown ace + spacejunk Cherry Bar, Melbourne

TOM TOM TUESDAY’S

H OWL ER This week’s free entry good-times night at Howler is brought to you by Transpixies, KT SPIT, Terminal Infant, Lucas H with DJ TRIXIE DARKO in the front bar on the wax. $6 Quiet Deed Session Ale cans and $6 Sailor Jerry’s. 8pm entry.

VINTEN

TH E WO RK E R S CLU B Vinten is set to take the stage on Monday March 28 at The Workers Club. Following the success of his debut EP, with his second single, You Don’t Know Me receiving praise and airplay on triple j, Vinten has kicked off the new year with recent shows at Shebeen, and the well known country venue, Meeniyan Town Hall. Supporting him are Melbourne outfits including Alexander Biggs, Ariela Jacobs, Hollie Joyce, and Oscar Galt & The Eventual Somethings. Doors at 8pm, entry is mere pocket change at $3.

monday night mass - feat: wedding ring bells +

Cbd. 6:00pm.

daryl james Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. jason isbell Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 7:30pm. $59.00.

mick fleetwood’s blues band + harry healy 170 Russell, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $75.00.

open mic Tago Mago, Thornbury. 3:35pm.

jimmy chang + good counsel + hooper crescent

paul williamson’s hammond combo Rainbow

open mic nite Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 7:30pm.

Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:00pm.

Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:30pm. $10.00.

taste of indie tuesday - feat: duo/trio night Prince

pool comp - feat: noel Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava.

tulalah + frida + jeffers limit Evelyn Hotel,

Public Bar, St Kilda . 8:00pm.

7:30pm.

Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00.

the decemberists Hamer Hall (arts Centre

ramble tamble + certified gold Milano’s Tavern,

Melbourne), Southbank. 7:30pm. $89.00.

Brighton. 7:00pm. $30.00.

TUESDAY 29 MAR

vinyl night 303, Northcote. 7:00pm.

anna’s go-go academy Bella Union Bar, Carlton.

jaron freeman fox & the opposite of everything

6:30pm. $10.00.

Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 3:00pm. $15.00.

irish session Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East.

WANT YOUR GIG IN GIG GUIDE? EMAIL A SHORT BLURB AND PIC TO MUSICNEWS@BEAT.COM.AU

8:00pm.

CLASSIFIEDS

33c per word per week (inc GST) Send your classified listing to classifieds@beat.com.au. Payment options include VISA/Mastercard or EFT (1.5% surcharge for

credit card payment). Deadline is Monday 11am, prior to Wednesday’s publication. Minimum $5 charge per week. We do not accept classifieds over the phone - sorry.

MELODIC GUITARIST WANTED for an edgy original rock band. Aged 25-45, must have professional outlook and previous band experience, own gear and transport, rehearse in Bayswater. www. alesserego.com. Contact Pete: PRN Management on 0419 004 095 or email prn.management@hotmail. com

MODELING. We’re looking for confident women of all styles (aged 18+) for our pro-feminist photographic projects with an emphasis on style and creativity. Nude/undies, paying $100 to $500 per shoot. Don’t overlook this until you’ve found out more about it. Rebecca ph.9495 6555

ALL OF THE DIRT ALL AT ONCE - BAND SEEKS MANAGEMENT. After a falling out with our last manager (that we don’t really want to get into), we are now seeking a more professional manager. Please email allofthedirtallatonce@gmail.com HARD ROCK/HEAVY METAL GUITARIST WANTED. Must have experience and own songs/riffs. Phn: 0433 726 449

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 106

Rock/Metal acts wanted for local rock shows Contact: mark@gunnmusic.com.au NOW BOOKING BANDS at Dane Certificate’s Magic Bar. Email danecertificate@yahoo.com.au

Acts wanted for Sunday rock shows Contact: mark@gunnmusic.com.au

The Push PRESENT

Access All Ages With grace kindellan Attention songwriters: Push Songs’ innovative and inspiring song writing mentoring program continues into its 8th year throughout April and May 2016 and it’s still free! The program is made up of three oneon-one song writing workshops, plus Tuesday Night Song Club where you’ll meet and share ideas and talk about gigs with fellow song writers. Working alongside Push Songs co-ordinator Charles Jenkins, will be a bevy of experienced song writing mentors including Darren Hanlon, Jess Ribeiro, Dan Kelly and another special guest mentor to be announced very soon. Applications close next Thursday March 31 so head to thepush.com.au if you’re keen. The Push is super excited to announce the first line-up for New Slang. Our new series of monthly, all-ages events held at Arts Centre Melbourne’s The Channel will kick off on May 6 from 6pm to 9pm. The first lineup features two of 2016’s most promising new artists, with melodic, lo-fi folkrockers Tiny Little Houses playing it as part of their Milo Tin single tour and pop genius Alex Lahey fresh from the release of her bangin’ new single You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me. Plus there will be support from promising high school band Moss and queen of the chuuuunes DJ Elldaychubbygal. Check out www.thepush.com.au for more details. Tonight, and for one more week, you can check out music across three stages at the Queen Victoria Night Market from 5pm till 10pm. This week you can catch singer/song-writer Krista Polvere, dirty blues rockers Miss Quincy and the old time, southernstyle vocal harmonies and banjo plucking of Cat & Clint. More details are available at www.qvm.com.au/ entertainment-2. Check out the pop-art visuals with a soundtrack of sweet pop music at Friday Nights at NGV. This week the much-loved and long-lasting Died Pretty will play a selection of their most widely appreciated songs for the last time before disappearing back into hibernation. Tickets include entry to the Andy Warhol | Ai Wei Wei exhibition and access to exclusive talks, food and bars from 6pm to 10pm this Friday, March 25. For more information, head to www.ngv.vic.gov.au. The Moonee Valley FReeZA Outdoor Cinema Summer Series brings great movies to lovely local parks and galleries for you to enjoy for free after dark. It is going out with a bang next Friday April 1 with a screening of the sci-fi/action flick Guardians of the Galaxy at the Rosehill skate part. You’re welcome to bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks, plus there will be a food truck and popcorn too. Check out www.facebook.com/MooneeValleyYouthServices for more details. Reckon you can make a 60 second video about how good live music is in Australia? Get cracking. Entries for the inaugural I LOVE LIVE MUSIC 60 second film competition close next Friday and there are irresistible prizes on offer for filmmakers and musicians. The Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN) has joined forces with the Live Music Office and the internationally accredited St Kilda Film Festival, presented by City of Port Phillip, to celebrate the importance of live music in the everyday lives of Australians. Filmmakers, musicians and lovers of Australian film and music are encouraged to join in by submitting a 60 second short film into the competition. To learn more, head to www. musicvictoria.com.au

All Ages Gig Guide W E D N E S D A Y M arc h 2 3

Queen Victoria Night Market w/ Krista Polvere, Miss Quincy, Cat & Clint, Queen Victoria Market, 5.00pm – 10.00pm, Free, www.qvm.com.au, AA

F R I D A Y M arc h 2 5

Friday Nights at NGV w/ Died Pretty, NGV, 5.00pm – 10.00pm, pre-sales: $24 member, $30 adult, $12 under 18, door sales (limited) $29 M / $35 A / $15 U18, www.ngv.vic.gov.au, AA

Bands/Duos/Solo acts wanted for Acoustic/Indie Fest Contact: mark@gunnmusic.com.au

B E AT.C O M . A U

Thursday 24th @ .30pm

HARRY BORLAND & UGANDAN NATIONAL CHOIR (Contemporary musical)

SUNDAY 27TH MARCH, 5PM

Friday 25th

Wed 23rd March

THE SHINERS &THE SKIDS

Saturday 26th @ 9.30pm

W I N E , W H I S K EY, W O M E N 8pm: Teresa Dixon 9pm: Tracey Hogue

ALEX BURNS TRIO

Good Friday Eve

GOATPISS GASOLINE

(Gypsy swing)

BLOWN CONES FRIDAY 1ST APRIL, 7PM

SATURDAY 2ND APRIL, 7PM

SUNDAY 3RD APRIL

MICHAEL MEEKING & THE LOST SOULS

ALL MUSIC IS FREE

NO BAND

(Business as usual)

Thurs 24th March

(Blues roots)

8pm:

Sunday 27th @ 5.30 pm

ULTRAFOX Sunday 27th @ 9.00 pm

KEN MAHER, TONY HARGREAVES & GUESTS (Acoustic roots) Tuesday 29th @ 8.00pm

IRISH SESSION (Fine fiddlin’)

ALL GIGS ARE FREE EXCELLENT RESTAURANT & BAR MEALS

225 NICHOLSON STREET, BRUNSWICK EAST. PH 9380 1752

Moose Jaw Rifle Club

Friday 25th March

GOOD FRIDAY - CLOSED Saturday 26th March

Kraken Folk Session 9pm: Doggerel Sunday 27th March 4pm: The F100’s 6.30pm: Dan Lethbridge

3pm:

Tuesday 29th March

8pm:

Weekly Trivia

The Drunken Poet, 65 Peel Street (directly opposite Queen Vic Market), Phone: 03 9348 9797. www.thedrunkenpoet.com.au

BAR WEDNESDAY 23RD MARCH

OPEN MIC

Show the Boogie Man what you’ve got! THURSDAY 24TH MARCH

YUUX & THE GANG FRIDAY 25TH MARCH

ROYAL CHILDRENS HOSPITAL GOOD FRIDAY APPEAL from 1pm:

MOTHER, DIRTY RATS, DAY OF CLINT, COLD RED MUTE, MURDER RATS, TRAUMA BOYS, THREE STORY GOAT, MOUSTACHE ANT, CRIMSON ANGEL All Artists donating their time and talent and all door charge donated to Good Friday appeal

SATURDAY 26TH MARCH

HUNTSMAN IKIGAI THE POWER

AFTER WORK HAPPY HOUR FROM 5PM:

WED, THURS & FRI 160 HODDLE ST ABBOTSFORD

BACKSTAGE STUDIO PROFILE:

MYCELIUM RECORDINGS Mycelium Studios is a multidisciplinary studio situated on Johnston Street, Abbotsford, with faculties for design, film, photography, events and music. It’s a space filled with creatives working in a number of different mediums, both independently and in conjunction with one another. Within the studio lies Mycelium Recordings, a fully equipped sound studio run by Tom Rodd and Jeremy Taylor. It’s an amazing space, designed not only to get the best sound quality out of a project, but also to inspire the best out of the musicians that work there. We caught up with Jeremy Taylor to learn a little more about Mycelium, and what makes it so unique. “Tom and I have been playing and recording music together for 15 years, first out the back of his parents’ house, later in a granny flat out the back of his house in Northcote,” says Taylor. “Two years ago we finally got the opportunity to take up a lease on a building in Abbotsford, specifically for the purposes of building a new studio from scratch. Securing the lease was the first of many challenges though. Neither of us had done much building let alone build a soundproof, acoustically designed and treated audio recording studio. Drawing on as many conversations with sound engineers, acoustic designers and musos as we could, and with a lot of help from uncle Google and auntie YouTube we had some plans drawn up and started building in March 2015.” Designing any interior space or building is a hard enough task, but designing one that is acoustically sound is something else entirely, as the two found out. “As anyone who has built a studio understands, it is tough. In basic terms, you have to build a room within a room, decouple every wall, floor and ceiling from each other and squeeze out gallons of silicon to patch up every hole you have created along the way. It took us more than six months of insanity

to complete but the results have made it all worthwhile. Now that we are working with some great bands and finding the odd moment to work on our own music we are pretty chuffed about what we have achieved.” The studio is made up of four rooms. The main live room is where they track all the drums. For separation they have an amp room and a vocal booth. Overdubs tend to be done either in the control room or the live room depending on what is being tracked. For vocals, if they are looking for a tight, dry sound to manipulate, they work with the booth. Otherwise, in order to get a more live and natural sound, they have the capabilities to record in the live room. Mycelium Recordings is filled with a mix of analogue and digital equipment. While the idea of running recordings directly to tape is a romantic one, it’s not always suitable and often slows down the process. For this reason, Rodd and Taylor have employed a hybrid system that incorporates the sonic strengths of analogue technology, while utilising the workflow benefits of digital technology. “Although we will always love tape, the ease of use of a DAW frees up your workflow and routing options so much that it was

an obvious decision for us to set it up this way,” Taylor says. “We’re of the belief that you should be able to get the best out of analogue gear as well as a computer. Tom has always loved his vintage gear and has been collecting pieces for years. We’ve now got some really nice old valve preamps and EQs – Rolla, Bayer, Blonder Tongue etc. Our go-to vintage preamp is called a Magnasync 324. Its an old ‘50s preamp from Hollywood and it oozes character, warmth and bottom end. We run a little known British-made Studiomaster Console from the ‘70s which also has great pre’s and EQ. Having some decent analogue outboard gear gives your sound the character that you look for in your signal path. That combined with a pimped out iMac gives you an ease of use that producers back in the day would have killed for.” On top of the assortment of brilliant and unique pieces of equipment, another of the great strengths of Mycelium Studios are the engineers working there – Tom Rodd, Matt Rodd and Jeremy – who’s varied

experiences and sonic styles complement each other brilliantly. “Between us we have done hundreds of recordings in a wide range of styles. Over the years Tom has tended to specialise in blues and country music, Matt in soul and funk, and I have focused on electronic leaning bands. Somewhere in the middle we all converge with our love of good old rock’n’roll. We also hire the studio to any engineer who needs a place to record or mix. We have had a wide range of producers and engineers from all styles use the studio including engineers doing film and TV voice over work.” Beyond Mycelium Recordings itself, the broader hub of Mycelium Studios has plenty to offer the artist. As Taylor tells me, there’s a huge benefit to being situated in a space with so many other creative professionals. “A huge bonus for our recording studio is the creative hub in which it is situated. We form part of a bigger collective of creative businesses under the Mycelium Studios Hub. In the building there is a wide range of businesses from a number of disciplines

and backgrounds that support each other with their different expertise. For example, Stonier Creative, a graphic design agency with an amazing understanding of branding, have worked with a number of our bands. Paris Martine, who books the Curtin Hotel and manages talent, knows the music industry inside out and is always interested in helping new bands that are coming through. We also have Matt Wood and Tom Honeyman, two very talented filmmakers who have made a number of critically acclaimed music videos. Having all these resources at a band’s disposal under the one roof can really give a whole lot of focus to their sound and image and refine what the band is after.” LOCATION: 255- 259 Johnston Street, Abbottsford HOURS OF OPERATION: 11am – 12pm, 7 days PHONE: 0438 080 007 WEBSITE: www.myceliumrecordings.com E-MAIL: jez@myceliumstudios.com

Bill Murray Hey there pickles, you know if you Google the answers you are only cheating yourself and me. Also, I’m telling your mum. ACROSS

DOWN

E: jez@myceliumstudios.com P: 9410 0166

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 108

LOCAL HAPPENINGS

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MUSIC INDUSTRY ROCKS FEDERAL PARLIAMENT FOR SUPPORT The Australian music industry came together in Canberra to discuss its issues and to seek an investment and industry development partnership with the Government in this year’s federal budget. It was convened by Townsville MP Ewen Jones (Lib) and Parramatta MP Julie Owens (Lab) in partnership with APRA AMCOS and the Australian Hotels Association, the Parliamentary Friends of Australian Music (#PFOAM) event was underscored by live sets in a Parliament House courtyard by Jimmy Barnes, Suze DeMarchi, Josh Pyke, Paul Dempsey, Benny Walker and Gordi. It pointed out to pollies that more people attend live music events than sports, and that the live contemporary music industry contributes over $2 billion annually. With that in mind, it wants the Government to co-invest in a development structure for musicians and businesses to go global, and in initiatives to make Australia a centre of music excellence. It also wants support for a tax offset for the venue-based live music industry which could increase the number of venues by 50% and create 250,000 more gigs. The industry also highlighted how artists struggle to make the minimum wage. Jones said while 2% of musicians earned $200,000 a year, 78% made less than $10,000. “We have to do better than that,” he said. “You won’t find a more creative, a more innovative industry than music.”

BMG LAUNCHES IN AUSTRALIA German-based BMG, the fifth largest music company in the world, has set up operations in Australia, its 11th office in the world. It is run out of Sydney by Heath Jones, who as Director of A&R at Universal Music Publishing Australia signed up Wolfmother, Jet, Peking Duk, 360, M-Phazes, Guy Sebastian and The Living End, among others. BMG already has the publishing of Tame Impala, Missy Higgins, Matt Corby and Meg Mac. It has the recording rights to most of Nick Cave’s catalogue, DMAs and to The Temper Trap’s new album.

THINGS WE HEAR Which company had to pull its product launch six weeks after announcing it? Which rising rapper just returned from four months in rehab in Thailand? BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 110

Melbourne looks like stealing the Cargo Bar from Sydney. Its owners, Keystone Group, have put the King Street Wharf establishment for sale to expand to other cities. Its executive chairman Richard Facioni said it was looking primarily at Melbourne “where we currently have no presence” and has no lock-out laws.

CARGO BAR FOR MELBOURNE?

While Sydney and Queensland are battling less trading hours, Melbourne is going the other way. With the State Government trialling 24-hour public transport, Music Victoria has had pow-wows with it to use the opportunity to expand live music venue trading hours past 1am and offer more gig opportunities for musicians. Music Victoria CEO Patrick Donovan told this column that the 600,000 who turned out to White Night was instrumental in showing that a huge amount of people could come into the city and enjoy themselves without violence

stie El ri ie

LATER HOURS FOR MELBOURNE VENUES?

h h

MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP

INDUSTRIAL

Why did only two members of De La Soul play Womadelaide? DJ Maseo stayed back in LA after his 22-year-old son Tre Mason, the LA Rams footballer, was tasered by cops and arrested on drug and driving charges. Who were the latest to put their names up to replace Brian Johnson in AC/DC? Pelle Almqvist of The Hives, Krokus’ Marc Storace (one of those whom the band approached to replace Bon Scott) and singer/actor Rob Liotti who plays him in the upcoming Bon Scott biopic. Meantime, comedian Jim Breuer is distancing himself from ridiculous comments Johnson was kicked out by AC/DC. Eddy Current Suppression Ring, who returned after a six year hiatus, blew Golden Plains apart with a set that received calls for an encore from the 10,000 in attendance. A couple got married on-site, David Bowie made an appearance (or someone who looked and dressed like him, but we couldn’t be sure), someone built a tent out of twigs and jumper leads, three “entrepreneurs” got charged with fraud for printing up their own tickets worth $9,500 and a giant X seared the sky at the end to mark the festival’s 10th anniversary. Splits: The Preatures’ guitarist Gideon Bensen has left, after his recent solo EP Cold Cold Heart got great acclaim. Kingswood called bassist and resident astronomer Jeremy “Mango” Hunter “a tremenous man” after he bowed out. Channel 10’s The Project apologised to Sudan-born Melbourne-based rapper Ror Da Poet aka Ror Akot for using a shot of him from a 2013 documentary (digitally altered but the 19-year-old recognised himself ) to illustrate a video package on gang violence in Melbourne last Monday night. “So this is what I get for being a young Blackman working hard trying to succeed?” Akot posted on Facebook. “I’m here putting my soul into success every day trying to prove myself, not to anyone but just to me and my family.” Cosmo’s Midnight axed their US trip and SXSW appearance due to visa issues. Meantime, Wolfmother’s outdoor SXSW set got axed due to a major storm. Australia’s Got Talent finale pulled 908,000 metro viewers, its lowest figure yet. But Nine should take the blame for pitching it against the blockbusting My Kitchen Rules. If Nine does bring it back in 2017, it should consider jettisoning three of the four judges who were out of their depth. The Central American country of Belize named an island after DJ Khaled. In a push for more roads named for musos, the Herald Sun cited the Melbourne’s Music Laneways report which found a third of visitors to AC/DC Lane were overseas tourists and 60% of those to Amphlett Lane from outside Melbourne. This month’s WOMADelaide achieved its box office target before it started, and drew a record 95,000 over four days. CMC Rocks Queensland was a sell-out for the first time: it had 45,000 over the three days (doubling 2015’s attendance).

FROM OSLO SIGN RECORD DEAL

MELBOURNE INSPIRES UK VENUE PROTECTION

BOB SPENCER TURNS TO FANS

Melbourne’s protection of its live music venues has inspired a similar move in the UK. With clubs closing down at an alarming rate (35% of them since 2007 in London), the UK live music industry received advice from Music Victoria’s CEO Patrick Donovan on how to work closely with Government. From April 6, all UK venues will adopt two elements of the Agent of Change law passed in Victoria in 2014 – new residents moving into areas with a venue can’t complain about the noise, and developers now have to effectively sound-proof their buildings.

After 45 years of playing guitar for Skyhooks, The Angels and Finch, Bob Spencer has finally got around to making a solo album. Saints And Murderers is the name of the effort, and a crowdfunding campaign has begun at http://www.pozible. com/project/204127. Among offers for donating are four 1-hour coaching sessions and your name credited as executive producer.

Melbourne grunge punk duo From Oslo signed with music company Habit, which released new single No Sound through their label, followed by an EP. Habit started as a management company (Big White, Bad// Dreems) before expanding a PR firm. Joshua De Laurentiis and Joel Penman formed in 2013, getting triple j support for Straight To Hell, Reputation and Faking The Benz.

VALE ANDREW CARSWELL Melbourne mandolin, tin and harmonica player Andrew Carswell passed after a three year battle with liver cancer. Most recently with The Stetson Family, he emerged in My Friend The Chocolate Cake, with them for the self-titled and ARIA-winning Brood albums, before he left in July 2010. By then he’d already joined long time friend John Bartholomeusz in Stetson Family which is receiving recognition in America’s bluegrass sector. MFTCC remembered Carswell for “the sublime and haunting melody, the witty and astute asides, the man who would never guess, he’d just go straight to the heart of the matter-one of the best people you’d ever care to meet...” The Stetsons paid tribute to his “blistering sense of humour” who was “intelligent and compassionate” and “one of nature’s true gentlemen who always was smiling”. In his death notice, his wife Carolyne Thompson, blasted the anti-euthanasia lobby for the suffering he underwent during his final months because he couldn’t choose when to end his life.

BRUCE MILNE BUYS INTO GREVILLE RECORDS Melbourne identity Bruce Milne has become a co-owner of Prahran vinyl store Greville Records, alongside founder Warwick Brown. Milne founded Au Go Go Records, the groundbreaking cassette magazine Fast Forward, was a Triple R presenter and owner of The Tote. It’s not vinyl enthusiast Milne’s first time in retail: Au Go Go began as a store, and he worked at Greville Records in the early ‘80s.

BRIDGE HOTEL RE-OPENS The Bridge Hotel in Castlemaine has reopened. New owners Mace Williams and Catherine Fletcher (formerly Grace Darling, Strange Wolf, Hells Kitchen: Melbourne & Jealous Lovers: Bali) have tarted up the 1860s pub, with additions inside and out and a new menu. Live music remains a staple (under the previous owners it was voted The Age Best Regional Live Music Venue 2014) and the Bridge intends to become a significant music showcase 1½ hours out of Melbourne. Band bookings is by Skye Byrd of The Little Bird Agency at thelittlebirdagency@gmail.com.

PT FAIRY FOLK FAREWELLS JAMIE McKEW Jamie McKew, founder and artistic director of the Port Fairy Folk Festival, MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP

S tu f f f or t h is co l umn to be emai l ed to ce l iezer @ netspace . net . au by Friday 5 pm

got a great farewell after he retired from running the event. Over 30,000 attended and contributed $12 million to the local economy and the acts sparkled. Its artist of the year Marcia Howard played Bob Dylan’s ‘Forever Young’ in tribute. The festival committee thanked him for his massive contribution and presented him with a woodskin drum at the 40th Revue Concert on the Sunday night. Festival president Bruce Leishman said, “It’s certainly sad to see him leave, but I don’t think he’ll ever really leave the festival.” Caroline Moore as the new director will ease into the 2017 edition with McKew’s help.

SONY MUSIC LAUNCHES A&R DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Sony Music Entertainment Australia has set up the Sony Music A&R Academy to develop A&R execs. Three tertiary graduates (initially two in Sydney, one in Melbourne), will be chosen for a 12 month program on full pay to attend creative sessions, receive mentoring from Sony and masterclasses from Sony’s GM. A&R execs offering their expertise include Ross Fraser in Melbourne. At the end of the program, the three get a full time job at Sony Music or have the company invest in them as entrepreneurs. See www.sonymusic.com/ anracademy.

HOW HOTTEST 100 KEEP J RATINGS UP In the first ratings for 2016, triple j performed well – and radio site Radioinfo crunched the numbers to find that the Hottest 100 is a major draw. The Hottest 100 website had 1,332,772 visits (up 9% on last year) while Facebook engagement took a 51% leap to 1,206,546. Total sessions on triple j’s iOS and Android apps increased by 34% with 1,654,412 app sessions. Nearly 2.1 million votes were cast for 16,000 songs by 298,851 voters from 172 countries.

SOUNDWAVE TICKET AGENCY TO SUE MADDAH The drama over the cancelled Soundwave festival continues. After it went bellyup in December, promoter AJ Maddah and ticketing agency Eventopia took shots at each other as to who should take responsibility for refunding ticket money. In the end, Eventopia decided to do it so as not to inconvenience the punters. All monies were returned by Sunday January 31. If you haven’t received yours, email soundwave@eventopia.com. Agency’s GM Martin Curnow told The Music Network it is initiating legal action. “Eventopia is investigating all possible courses of action against AJ Maddah and his companies,” it said in a statement.

MUSIC QUIZ SHOW FOR TV Seven Network has a new prime time show later this year called The Big Music Quiz. Production begins in Melbourne next month by Endemol Shine Australia. Celebs from music, screen, stage, comedy and sports will pit their knowledge against each other before a studio audience, host is Darren McMullen (ex-The Voice) who returns from LA. Home viewers can play along via an app.

NEW CATEGORY FOR APRA AWARDS This year’s APRA awards (held Tuesday April 5 in Sydney) has a new category, the Overseas Recognition Award. Open to all genres, the five finalists are Phil Barton, Sam Dixon, Kylie Sackley, Josef Salvat and Vassy chosen by the APRA AMCOS

Lifelines Born: son, to US R&B singer NeYo and model wife Crystal Renay, their first. Marrying: New Zealand music legend Chris Knox to his care-giver and poet Raewyn Alexander, who’s looked after him since a severe stroke in 2009. Electrocuted: Grimes onstage during a Dublin show after her pedal failed. Ill: Bad Brains frontman Paul “H.R.” Hudson was diagnosed with rare neurobiological disorder which gives him crippling headaches and nicknamed Suicide Syndrome. There is no cure or reliable medical treatment for it. In Court: Justin Bieber settled a lawsuit that claimed he kicked and punched a paparazzo outside a Southern California shopping center in 2012 after he took shots of him with then-girlfriend Selena Gomez. In Court: Swedish metal band Entombed’s singer Lars-Göran “LG” Petrov lost a bid to stop former guitarist Alex Hellid from issuing a range of drinks under the band’s name. The two are battling over who owns the rights to the band’s name. Died: Nik Green, ex-keyboardist of Blue Murder (formed by Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes and ex-Black Sabbath singer Ray Gillen, from cancer. Died: Lee Andrews, of doo wop The Hearts (and dad of Roots’ Questlove) 79. board and a specialist advisory group. Jarryd James and Sia lead with four nominations each. Songwriters with multiple noms were AC/DC, Birds of Tokyo, Phil Barton, Colin Buchanan, Hilltop Hoods, Vance Joy, Lee Kernaghan, Joel Little, Tkay Maidza, Garth Porter and Peking Duk. For the prestigious Song of the Year, APRA AMCOS members chose Birds of Tokyo’s Anchor, Jarryd James & Joel Little’s Do You Remember, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker for Let It Happen, Courtney Barnett for Pedestrian At Best and CW Stoneking for The Zombie.

DJ FINED FOR PLAYING FUCK THA POLICE DURING RAID Massachusetts DJ Boogy was fined $50 for playing NWA’s Fuck Tha Police while cops raided a bar in October 2015. They were clearing out the 160-capacity Shenanigans Pub which had 350 patrons. Police complained that playing the track in an over-crowded room filled with drunks “was an intentional act by the DJ to incite the crowd [that] showed a reckless disregard for public safety.” Boogy said the track was already queued up ready to play when the cops charged in.